victimless

American  

[vik-tim-lis] / ˈvɪk tɪm lɪs /

adjective

1. (of a crime or misdeed) not having any victim; not causing direct harm to any specific person.

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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

But thousands of other entrepreneurs and investors will benefit once the fiction of victimless disgorgement is set aside and the SEC focuses on punishing fraud with actual victims.

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

“It’s also important to remember that cargo theft is not a victimless crime,” McDonnell said.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 20, 2025

While each defendant individually argued there was insufficient evidence proving his respective intent to defraud, they collectively argued that this was a victimless fraud.

From Slate • Feb. 16, 2024

It was a great white altar, victimless and bare.

From The Side Of The Angels A Novel by King, Basil