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
The store brand juggernaut triggered by pandemic-era inflation and economic uncertainty has passed a tipping point with consumers and may have claimed its first national brand victim.
—
Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
The same region of Texas Hill Country where a flash flood on July 4 killed more than 130 people was hit again with downpours a week later, forcing searchers to temporarily pause their efforts to find missing victims.
—Jeremy Porter, CBS News, 14 July 2025
Now, as the families prepare for next week's sentencing hearing on July 23, Patterson and Ward are hoping to give readers a true sense of the four victims.
—ABC News, 14 July 2025
Perhaps this stems from a desire to protect the friends and families of the victims.
—Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for victim
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Greg Petro, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
The same region of Texas Hill Country where a flash flood on July 4 killed more than 130 people was hit again with downpours a week later, forcing searchers to temporarily pause their efforts to find missing victims.
—Jeremy Porter, CBS News, 14 July 2025
Now, as the families prepare for next week's sentencing hearing on July 23, Patterson and Ward are hoping to give readers a true sense of the four victims.
—ABC News, 14 July 2025
Perhaps this stems from a desire to protect the friends and families of the victims.
—Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 14 July 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 19 Jul. 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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