Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. One who takes or advocates the taking of law enforcement into one's own hands.
- n. A member of a vigilance committee.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A member of a vigilance committee.
Wiktionary
- n. A person who considers it their own responsibility to uphold the law in their neighbourhood.
WordNet 3.0
- n. member of a vigilance committee
Etymologies
- Spanish, watchman, vigilante, from Latin vigilāns, vigilant-, present participle of vigilāre, to be watchful, from vigil, watchful; see weg- in Indo-European roots.
Examples
“He had what you call a vigilante system, in the plant.”
“Along the way, the central story of a murder investigated by a masked vigilante is supported by parallel stories of an alternate 1985 where Nixon has remained president for four terms, the Soviet communists have remained in power, and the world stands only days away from nuclear war.”
“While they determine what to do, the government tries to figure out how to handle the surge in vigilante justice and crime across the country.”
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“Besides, there will be plenty of jeezuz freaks from below the Mason-Dixon line there already, one more like you will just get lost among all the bible thumpin 'vigilante groups anyway ...”
“A senior judge has warned of a rise in vigilante crimes caused by slow police response times.”
“Just as the vigilante is often wrong in the real world, so is authority, and while the notion that we control authority by the power of the vote is appealing and logical, it, too, is often mistaken.”
“Named for the Greek word kuklos, “circle,” the Klan at first seemed nothing more than an expression of vigilante discontent.”
“The way Hall effortlessly shifts between warm, genial co-worker and cold, calculating vigilante is amazing.”
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“People can call it vigilante justice all they want, and it is.”
“The 1880s saw a rise in vigilante violence in rural areas — not only lynchings in the former Confederacy but also beatings, murders, and arson by such groups as the Bald Knobbers, in the Ozarks, and the White Caps, in Kentucky and elsewhere.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘vigilante’.
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January 2012
bloviate, pastiche, apparat, facile, paroxysm, pique, bedfellow, pedigree, tutelage, protege, protégé, retroactive and 196 more...
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Violence
sucker punch, punch, bunch of fives, haymaker, bare-knuckle, punch-drunk, brawler, scrapper, hellkite, street fighter, gamecock, powerhouse and 30 more...
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identifiers
species, sex, age bracket, occupation, hobby .. etc.
man, woman, human being, student, zombie, artist, octopus, race driver, scientist, algorithmist, mathematician, child and 59 more...
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maf
sectarian, sectarian =narrow..., oppression, oppress, sort out, worldwide, legit, constrain, constrained, I feel constrained, constraint, divisive and 56 more...
bilby Captured by the French. Nov 1, 2009
likeflannel where have they all gone? Nov 1, 2009