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
Examples of victim in a Sentence
the victims of a hoax
He was the victim of an error.
Recent Examples on the Web
Initial episodes will cover the hoverboard, how Guitar Hero became a victim of its own success, and the rise and fall of TikTok predecessor Vine, among other topics.
—
Max Tani, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Most recently, luxury automobile manufacturer Jaguar was the victim of an attack, which forced the company to restrict production briefly.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 22 Sep. 2025
The victim was named as Robert Steven DeCesare, 59.
—Jessica Gorman, ABC News, 22 Sep. 2025
Finney triumphed at the end of that film, dispatching child-snatching serial killer the Grabber (Ethan Hawke) with help from the ghosts of his previous victims and one of Gwen’s psychic visions.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for victim
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Max Tani, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Most recently, luxury automobile manufacturer Jaguar was the victim of an attack, which forced the company to restrict production briefly.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 22 Sep. 2025
The victim was named as Robert Steven DeCesare, 59.
—Jessica Gorman, ABC News, 22 Sep. 2025
Finney triumphed at the end of that film, dispatching child-snatching serial killer the Grabber (Ethan Hawke) with help from the ghosts of his previous victims and one of Gwen’s psychic visions.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 21 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for victim
Cite this Entry
“Victim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/victim. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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