victimization

American  

[vik-tuh-muh-zey-shuhn] / ˌvɪk tə məˈzeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of making someone into a victim by harming or killing them.

   Mentally ill people who wander these streets are particularly vulnerable to victimization by criminal predators.

2. the act or fact of blaming others for the hardships one encounters in life.

   That school of thought says that victimization is an attitude: you may have no control over what happens to you, but you can control what you do with it.

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Etymology

Origin of victimization

First recorded in 1840–50; victimiz(e) ( def. ) + -ation ( def. )

Example Sentences

But Gaines’ supposed victimization doesn’t need facts to back it up.

From Salon

Mr. Panahi’s victimization by Iran’s government may well continue, but this is a film of emotional and political truths that can be crushed by no regime.

From The Wall Street Journal

Still, the main takeaway is that overall rates of reported crime victimization across America, in both urban and rural areas, have been dropping for decades: They are 58% lower in 2022 than in 1979.

From Salon

In the tome of essays, author and educator Patricia Pisters discusses Madonna’s ability to transcend the traditional objectification and victimization that famous women are usually subject to.

From Salon

She was tireless, say family and friends, in pursuing the truth in instances of disappeared and abused women whose victimization was ignored by corrupt local authorities.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• deception