vigilante

[ vij-uh-lan-tee ]

noun

1. a member of a vigilance committee.
2. any person who takes the law into their own hands, such as by avenging a crime.

adjective

1. done violently and summarily, without recourse to lawful procedures:

   vigilante justice.

vigilante

/ ˌvɪdʒɪˈlæntɪ /

noun

1. one of an organized group of citizens who take upon themselves the protection of their district, properties, etc
2. Also calledvigilance man a member of a vigilance committee

Other Words From

• vigi·lante·ism vig·i·lan·tism [vij-, uh, -, lan, -tiz-, uh, m, vij, -, uh, -l, uh, n-tiz-, uh, m], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of vigilante¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of vigilante¹

C19: from Spanish, from Latin vigilāre to keep watch

Example Sentences

In Oregon, fears about “antifa” are emboldening militia groups and others to set up identity checkpoints, and some of these vigilantes are using Facebook and Twitter as infrastructure to track those who they deem suspicious.

From MIT Technology Review

Although military officers continue to express formal commitment to keeping the military nonpoliticized, such actions, if taken, may result in a violent backlash by left-wing vigilantes.

From No Straight News

Yardeni coined the term “bond vigilantes” in the early 1980s.

From Fortune

Social-media companies need to work actively to prevent militias and vigilante groups from staging these armed standoffs.

From MIT Technology Review

The ensuing free speech fight unleashed water-hose crowd control, vicious vigilantes and an abusive police chief.

From Voice of San Diego

If the idea of a religious vigilante ambushing sex workers in his spare time sets off alarm bells, it probably should.

From The Daily Beast

The lawless law enforcement in eastern Ukraine exists somewhere between Soviet rule and vigilante justice.

From The Daily Beast

And lefties are hailing him as a Batman-like vigilante for taking down a Fox News superfan.

From The Daily Beast

My father had to fly back to town to keep his uncles from enacting vigilante justice over the death.

From The Daily Beast

Slavery, segregation, and abortion led to civil war, vigilante violence, and massive protest movements.

From The Daily Beast

It was in Bongao we first made the acquaintance of Toolawee, the chief vigilante of Sulu.

From Project Gutenberg

My luck was pretty good, and I'd have stuffed my wallet had not a sort of Puritan vigilante blown in.

From Project Gutenberg

But that's over now—they gave me hell for inciting vigilante action, and confined me inside the dome.

From Project Gutenberg

Wives of Vigilante members were struck from invitation lists in important affairs.

From Project Gutenberg

Suddenly the Governor slapped the Vigilante chief a rousing whack upon the shoulder.

From Project Gutenberg