vigilante
vij-uh-LAN-tee
/ˌvɪdʒ.ɪˈlæn.ti/
A member of a self-appointed group of citizens who undertake law enforcement without legal authority.
Implies taking the law into one's own hands, usually outside formal judicial procedures, driven by perceived failures of official law enforcement.
The story behind the word. Borrowed directly from Spanish 'vigilante', meaning 'watchman' or 'guard', which traces to Latin 'vigil' (watchful). It entered American English during the 19th-century Western frontier era when 'vigilance committees' punished suspects without formal trial.
Word relationships
- avenger: An avenger seeks retribution for a personal wrong, whereas a vigilante enforces self-styled public law.
- self-appointed judge: Emphasizes unauthorized moral judgment rather than direct physical punishment.
- law enforcement officer: A legally authorized public official sworn to uphold statutory laws.
Commonly confused with
- partisan: A partisan fights an occupying army or political adversary in war, while a vigilante punishes perceived criminal activity extralegally within a society.
Word family
- vigilantism (noun): The act or practice of taking law enforcement into one's own hands.
Collocations
- vigilante justice
- vigilante group
- lone vigilante
- vigilante violence
Idioms & expressions
- take the law into one's own hands
Example sentences
- "Frustrated by persistent burglaries, local residents formed a vigilante group to catch and punish suspects." Sociological crime analysis
- "The protagonist evolves from a grieving father into a ruthless vigilante who operates above the law." Literary analysis
Memory hook
Vigilante stays VIGILANT to dish out self-made justice. Watching and punishing outside the law.
When not to use
Do not use to describe official police officers, appointed judges, or legitimate state soldiers.
Fun facts
- 19th-century San Francisco had famous 'Vigilance Committees' that executed several suspects without court trials.
Related words
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