vigilante
noun
Did you know?
The Meaning and Origin of Vigilante
Vigilante entered English in the 19th century, borrowed from the Spanish word of the same spelling which meant “watchman, guard” in that language. The Spanish word can be traced back to the Latin vigilare, meaning “to keep awake.” The earliest use of the word in English was to refer to a member of a vigilance committee, a committee organized to suppress and punish crime summarily, as when the processes of law appear inadequate. The word may often be found in an attributive role, as in the phrases “vigilante justice,” or “vigilante group.” In this slightly broadened sense it carries the suggestion of the enforcement of laws without regard to due process or the general rule of law.
Synonyms
Examples of vigilante in a Sentence
Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 13 May 2024
Disguises law dates to 1800s but no record of use in Hamilton County
The protesters were initially charged under an 1800s era law used to target the Ku Klux Klan and other similar violent, vigilante groups.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 13 May 2024
Batman has been around for more than 80 years now, and in that time, Bob Kane and Bill Finger’s dark vigilante has been the subject of countless comic books, cartoons, and movies.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 9 May 2024
Meanwhile, inhabitants of the nearby hamlet of Soufriere have been open about their intent to do vigilante justice if Lehrer is released.
—Nina Burleigh, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 May 2024
The narrative unfolds in the devoutly Catholic town of Pula and examines themes of faith, fanaticism, and vigilante justice.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 May 2024
In 2020, social upheaval from the Covid-19 pandemic and racial justice protests created the ideal conditions for militias to act out their survivalist, vigilante, and anti-government fantasies.
—Tess Owen, WIRED, 2 May 2024
Critics said Rittenhouse had no right to fire his weapon and was illegally acting as a vigilante militia.
—USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2024
His silence provided tacit backing as vigilante groups continued to target non-Hindu minority groups and as members of his party routinely used hateful and racist language, even in Parliament, against the largest of those groups, India’s 200 million Muslims.
—Mujib Mashal, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vigilante.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to vigilante
Dictionary Entries Near vigilante
Cite this Entry
“Vigilante.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vigilante. Accessed 23 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
vigilante
noun
Share