Word
vigilante
Phoneticsvig·i·lante
US/ˌvɪdʒəˈɫænti/
UK/vˌɪdʒɪlˈænti/
Definition
n. a person who tries to catch criminals or punish people without having the legal power to do so. They usually act because they think the police are not doing enough.
n. a member of a self-appointed group or an individual who undertakes law enforcement without legal authority. Often motivated by a perceived lack of official justice or police effectiveness.
Examples
“The neighborhood watch turned into a group of vigilantes.”
“After the local robberies increased, some residents acted as vigilantes to patrol the streets at night.”
“The film explores the moral ambiguity of a vigilante who seeks personal retribution in a city where the judicial system has completely collapsed.”
Examples
simple
“The neighborhood watch turned into a group of vigilantes.”
contextual
“After the local robberies increased, some residents acted as vigilantes to patrol the streets at night.”
complex
“The film explores the moral ambiguity of a vigilante who seeks personal retribution in a city where the judicial system has completely collapsed.”
Usage
Often used as a modifier before another noun, such as 'vigilante justice' or 'vigilante group'.
Real-World Examples
“Vigilantes are posting videos of themselves destroying the cameras to digital applause.” “Thousands of people have joined government-backed vigilante groups to fight, and the BBC spoke to one who said his armed group had killed many bandits.” Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish vigilante (“watchman, guard”), from Latin vigilans. Doublet of vigilant.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/vigilante