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

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

The company fired back from its official X account on April 12: “Justin’s favorite move is playing the victim while making baseless allegations to cover up his own misconduct.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

When news initially broke of Gonzales’ alleged affair, the congressman claimed that he was the victim of an extortion plot.

From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026

"There isn't really much of Melania Trump in the Epstein files besides that one email, friendly email to Ghislaine Maxwell. I'm baffled by it. I don't think anyone ever believed she was a victim."

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Sitting in first class on a flight in 2023, however, Monique, who hosts a podcast about reality-TV news, ended up the victim of some Bravo-like drama herself.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

She didn’t know how far out of the water a vodyanoi would come for a victim.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

Related Words

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