victim

1 of 2

noun (1)

vic·​tim ˈvik-təm 

1

: one that is acted on and usually adversely affected by a force or agent

the schools are victims of the social system

: such as

a(1)

: one that is injured, destroyed, or sacrificed under any of various conditions

a victim of cancer

a victim of the auto crash

a murder victim

(2)

: one that is subjected to oppression, hardship, or mistreatment

a frequent victim of political attacks

b

: one that is tricked or duped

a con man's victim

2

: a living being sacrificed to a deity or in the performance of a religious rite

victimhood

ˈvik-təm-ˌhu̇d 

noun

victimhood

2 of 2

noun (2)

vic·​tim·​hood ˈviktə̇mˌhu̇d 

: the state or condition of being a victim

Synonyms of victim

Noun (1)

• fatality
• casualty
• prey

Examples of victim in a Sentence

Noun (1)

the victims of a hoax

He was the victim of an error.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Alan tells the players about the murder in plain sight and asks if any of the table-sitting players have any last words about the potential victims. — Alice Burton, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026

Text-message codes can be vulnerable when an attacker persuades a mobile carrier to transfer a victim’s number to the attacker’s phone. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026

For his part, Collins became the public face of Tylenol during the crisis, expressing empathy for the victims and their families while also communicating his firm’s commitment to improve safeguards around drug packaging. — Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026

Families of the victims say the findings strengthen their call for Congress to require collision-avoidance technology as lawmakers work to reconcile competing aviation safety bills. — Josh Funk, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Latin victima; perhaps akin to Old High German wīh holy

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing victim

• fall victim to
• fashion victim
• victim mentality

Rhymes for victim

• dictum

Kids Definition

victim

noun

vic·​tim ˈvik-təm 

1

: a living being offered as a sacrifice in a religious rite

2

: an individual injured or killed (as by disease or accident)

3

: a person cheated, fooled, or harmed by another