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
Identities of the victims are yet to be released, per CNN.
—
Clare Fisher, People.com, 2 Jan. 2025
The number of victims killed in the Bourbon Street attack has risen to 15, Fox News has learned.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 2 Jan. 2025
The rampage turned festive Bourbon Street into a macabre scene of maimed victims, bloodied bodies and pedestrians fleeing for safety inside nightclubs and restaurants.
—Eric Tucker, Jim Mustian, TIME, 2 Jan. 2025
The crew of firefighters worked to revive certain victims with a sort of air pump that had been used for soldiers exposed to poisonous gases.
—Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for victim 
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Clare Fisher, People.com, 2 Jan. 2025
The number of victims killed in the Bourbon Street attack has risen to 15, Fox News has learned.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 2 Jan. 2025
The rampage turned festive Bourbon Street into a macabre scene of maimed victims, bloodied bodies and pedestrians fleeing for safety inside nightclubs and restaurants.
—Eric Tucker, Jim Mustian, TIME, 2 Jan. 2025
The crew of firefighters worked to revive certain victims with a sort of air pump that had been used for soldiers exposed to poisonous gases.
—Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 1 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for victim
Dictionary Entries Near victim
Cite this Entry
“Victim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/victim. Accessed 9 Jan. 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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