noun
victim
VIK-tim/ˈvɪktɪm/
A person harmed or made to suffer by someone or something.
The injured cyclist receives help after becoming the victim of a collision.
Etymology
Latin victima named a person or animal killed as a sacrifice; its deeper origin is uncertain. The meaning broadened from a sacrificial creature to someone harmed by another person, disease, disaster, or circumstance.
In context
He ruled gunshot as the official cause of death. He was told the victim was killed between 5:15 and 5:20 that morning.
More examples
- The charity supports victims of fraud.
- She refused to blame the victim for the theft.
- The storm's victims needed food and shelter.
Forms
victim · victims
victimize verb — Harm or exploit someone unfairly.
Similar words
- sufferer
- Someone experiencing hardship without necessarily another responsible agent.
- casualty
- Especially someone injured or killed in conflict or disaster.