vigilante
Americannoun
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vigilantes
plural
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a member of a vigilance committee.
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any person who takes the law into their own hands, such as by avenging a crime.
adjective
noun
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one of an organized group of citizens who take upon themselves the protection of their district, properties, etc
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Also called: vigilance man. a member of a vigilance committee
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of vigilante
An Americanism dating back to 1825–35; from Spanish: literally, “vigilant”
Explanation
If you’re a vigilante, you might take the law into your own hands by trying to catch or punish someone in your own way. If you wrestle jaywalkers down to the ground, you might be called a vigilante. Vigilante is a form of the word vigilant, which means "keeping a watchful or close eye on events and people." Sometimes a vigilante will make news for catching a criminal, and sometimes vigilante groups form to target crimes in a bad neighborhood. A common combined use is "vigilante justice," which refers to a form of law-keeping outside of the official channels of police and the courts.
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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.
See Examples For:
In a vacuum, Bronson’s “Death Wish” vigilante was just as unlikeable.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
The bond market wasn’t being a vigilante, as some would argue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
The army said the children and staff were rescued following "carefully planned and executed" operations alongside intelligence agencies, police and local vigilante groups.
From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026
In the show, Nicolas Cage's character is a former vigilante known as The Spider, who is working through issues from his past life, following a deeply personal tragedy, as the city's only superhero.
From BBC ● May 27, 2026
In the Hyde Park and Englewood districts, men organized vigilante groups and sent word to Chief of Police Glenman offering aid.
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
In response, on May 15, 1850, armed vigilantes and the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Schleif calls that “a not-so-subtle message to policymakers that the bond vigilantes are not thrilled with the current trajectory of fiscal affairs.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
The authorities say the new vigilantes are better trained, but Samuel, from Good Governance Africa, calls them a "time bomb waiting to happen".
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
I think 4% to 5% is normal, and I will worry about a debt crisis when the bond vigilantes worry about it.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
Well, he would be ill-advised to repeat this ploy once my punctuation vigilantes are on the loose.
From "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Author
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
