vigilante

noun

vig·​i·​lan·​te ˌvi-jə-ˈlan-tē 

: a member of a volunteer committee organized to suppress and punish crime summarily (as when the processes of law are viewed as inadequate)

broadly : a self-appointed doer of justice

vigilantism

ˌvi-jə-ˈlan-ˌti-zəm 

noun

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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

• avenger
• castigator
• chastiser
• nemesis
• punisher
• scourge

Examples of vigilante in a Sentence

the danger of these self-appointed vigilantes is that they sometimes go after innocent people

Recent Examples on the Web

But, like it or not, a narrative has taken shape, with many across the internet hailing Mangione — yet to be extradited to New York on the murder change, let alone tried and convicted for it — as a justified vigilante. —Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 13 Dec. 2024

Prior to Ossietzky’s 1931 trial, Die Weltbühne had already faced a lawsuit over its coverage of the Schwarze Reichswehr, a right-wing paramilitary group that carried out numerous vigilante killings in the early 1920s. —Longreads, 5 Dec. 2024

But the trial itself has raised broader questions of mental illness, race relations and the concept of vigilante justice. —Celina Tebor, CNN, 2 Dec. 2024

Leaning heavily into a 1930s aesthetic that evokes Batman’s earliest comic book origins, this manages to be nostalgic and provocative at once—a fantastic outing that takes DC's original urban vigilante back to his gritty pulp noir roots. —Matt Kamen, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, watchman, guard, from vigilante vigilant, from Latin vigilant-, vigilans

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

vigilante

noun

vig·​i·​lan·​te ˌvij-ə-ˈlant-ē 

: a member of a group of volunteers who decide on their own to stop crime and to punish criminals