victimless
Americanadjective
Explanation
When something is victimless, no one is harmed by it. If you accidentally run a stop sign on an empty road and nobody gets hurt, it makes sense to consider it a victimless crime. The adjective victimless often refers to a punishable crime that didn't really hurt anyone; in other words, there's no victim. For example, it might be illegal to loiter in front of the library at night, but it's really a victimless offense. This word comes from the Latin root victima, "person or animal killed in sacrifice," and -less, "free from."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Tax evasion is not a victimless crime,” Atty.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2026
Since Liu, federal courts have split on victimless disgorgement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 19, 2026
The New South Wales government's environment department said that "the illegal wildlife trade is not a victimless crime", harming conservation and stripping the state "and Australia of its unique biodiversity".
From Barron's ● Feb. 17, 2026
My insurers paid out, a replacement car was bought, but police are keen to stress this is not a victimless crime.
From BBC ● Feb. 7, 2026
It was a great white altar, victimless and bare.
From The Side Of The Angels A Novel by Basil King
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
