Dictionary.com

vigilante

[ vij-uh-lan-tee ]
/ ˌvɪdʒ əˈlæn ti /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: vigilante / vigilantes on Thesaurus.com

noun
a member of a vigilance committee.
any person who takes the law into their own hands, such as by avenging a crime.
adjective
done violently and summarily, without recourse to lawful procedures: vigilante justice.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of vigilante

An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; from Spanish: literally, “vigilant”

OTHER WORDS FROM vigilante

vig·i·lan·te·ism, vig·i·lan·tism [vij-uh-lan-tiz-uhm, vij-uh-luhn-tiz-uhm], /ˌvɪdʒ əˈlæn tɪz əm, ˈvɪdʒ ə lənˌtɪz əm/, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH vigilante

vigilant, vigilante
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use vigilante in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for vigilante

vigilante
/ (ˌvɪdʒɪˈlæntɪ) /

noun
one of an organized group of citizens who take upon themselves the protection of their district, properties, etc
Also called: vigilance man US a member of a vigilance committee

Word Origin for vigilante

C19: from Spanish, from Latin vigilāre to keep watch
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK