victim

American  

[vik-tim] / ˈvɪk tɪm /

noun

• victims
  plural

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.

---

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

---

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

Derived Forms

• nonvictim
  noun
• victimhood
  noun
• victimless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• victims
  plural

Etymology

Origin of victim

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

Explanation

Use the word victim to describe someone who has been wronged or harmed, like the victim of the armed robbery or the stores that went out of business, victims of the slow economy. The noun victim refers to a person who has been harmed by a crime, accident, or other adverse circumstances, such as a victim of a tsunami or a victim of domestic violence. It can also refer to someone has been tricked or swindled, like when you paid $2 for a candy bar that should only have cost a dollar — you were the victim of someone's scheme to pocket half the money from the candy bar sale.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

victim victims

Authorities didn’t respond to The Times’ request for comment or to identify the victim.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

The legal system treated Fraser as a victim, a man simply defending himself from an unprovoked attack.

From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026

Judge Mark Watson said the victim told her father what had happened and he contacted police.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Alas, less than five years later, he fell victim to melanoma.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

He himself, Sinon told Priam, was the wretched victim chosen to be sacrificed.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

She adds: "I hope that other victims in the future will be believed, will be dealt with differently, will be listened to straightaway, and I just hope that there's change".

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Lisa Friedman told the judge Monday there is a new pending investigation with other potential victims.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed condolences to the quake victims and said the UN was "supporting the Government-led response as requested."

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

"The verdict reflects the magnitude of the sacrifices we made, the sacrifices of the martyrs, the suffering and pain of the victims, the missing, and the detainees," she told the BBC.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

Many victims tear off clothing, fling away their gloves, or crawl out of their sleeping bags.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

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