victim

American  

[vik-tim] / ˈvɪk tɪm /

noun

1. a person who suffers from a destructive or injurious action or agency.

   A passing motorist offered assistance to the victims of a car accident.

   Victims of workplace abuse are encouraged to speak out.

2. a person who is deceived or cheated, as by their own emotions or ignorance, by the dishonesty of others, or by some impersonal agency.

   I had fully expected the flight to arrive on time, but I was the victim of misplaced confidence.

   The swindler’s victims report losing thousands of dollars in the scheme.

3. a person or animal sacrificed or regarded as sacrificed.

   war victims.

4. a living creature sacrificed in religious rites.

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victim British  

/ ˈvɪktɪm /

noun

1. a person or thing that suffers harm, death, etc, from another or from some adverse act, circumstance, etc

   victims of tyranny

2. a person who is tricked or swindled; dupe

3. a living person or animal sacrificed in a religious rite

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Usage

Referring to someone with a disability or chronic disease as a victim may make it seem as though they are defeated and made helpless by their condition. This can be avoided by using wording such as a person who has (or experiences ) or a person with the condition. Similarly, a person who has experienced abuse, especially sexual abuse or assault, may prefer to be known as a survivor rather than a victim, emphasizing their own agency and the fact of having come through the experience and striving to heal from it rather than continuing to be kept down by it. However, victim is often used in legal contexts, where the injustice and criminality of the abuse is in focus, or when speaking of its short- and long-term effects on the one who is abused. This term may also be preferred by those who wish to draw attention to the gravity of the abuse, or to the vulnerability of particular groups of people to the kind of violence in question. Still other terminology, such as victim-survivor, may be preferred by some individuals. As with all words referring to people, it is best to ask the person what their preference is.

Using the word victim or victims in relation to chronic illness or disability is often considered demeaning and disempowering. Alternative phrases such as who experiences , who has been diagnosed with , or simply with and then the name of the disability or illness, can be used instead

Other Word Forms

• nonvictim noun
• victimhood noun
• victimless adjective

Etymology

Origin of victim

First recorded in 1490–1500 ; from Latin victima “sacrificial animal,” of disputed origin

Example Sentences

All states have some form of a slayer rule that prevents killers from inheriting from their victims.

From Salon

Also included are notes from FBI interviews conducted in 2019 with alleged victims.

From The Wall Street Journal

Chief Vasquez added: "I know these acts have deeply impacted this community, and our hearts remain with the victims."

From BBC

Its authors portrayed the 131-page proposal, released publicly only an hour before debate began, as a disaster relief measure for victims of Hurricane Helene.

From Salon

Instead, Pope has become the first selection victim of the failed bid to regain the urn.

From BBC

Related Words

• casualty
• dead
• fatality
• injured
• sufferer
• wounded