Meanings
vigilante1
nounvigilante (plural vigilantes)
plural vigilantes
- A member of a vigilance committee.
- A person who acts outside of legal authority, often violently, to punish or avenge a crime, right a perceived wrong, etc.
Jeptha Billingsley, who was no prize pig himself (he had been arrested for horse theft and assault with intent to murder), was to be taught a lesson, and the vigilantes made him cut down the McLemores.
2011, Richard Zelade, Lone Star Travel Guide to Central Texas, page 2741 more example
For example, a voice accusing a man of being a paedophile might be based on recent TV news programmes about antipaedophile vigilante groups, plus the memory of having been accused of being a pervert by a neighbour, plus fears that he might be a secret paedophile because he enjoyed reading Lolita.
2005, Hazel E. Nelson, Cognitive-behavioural therapy with delusions and hallucinations, page 217
Vigilante2
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 義務警員 /义务警员, 治安會會員 /治安会会员
- 義務警員 /义务警员 (yìwù jǐngyuán)person who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
- 治安會會員 /治安会会员 (zhì'ānhuì huìyuán)person who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
Dutch lid van een waakzaamheidscomité, eigenrechter
- lid van een waakzaamheidscomitéperson who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
- eigenrechterperson who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
Finnish omankädenoikeuden käyttäjä
- omankädenoikeuden käyttäjäperson who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
French justicier
- justicierperson who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
German Bürgerwehrler, Mitglied einer Bürgerwehr
- Bürgerwehrlerperson who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
- Mitglied einer Bürgerwehrperson who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
Greek βιτζιλάντε, εθελοντής φρουρός
- βιτζιλάντε (vitzilánte)person who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
- εθελοντής φρουρός (ethelontís frourós)person who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
- εκδικητής (ekdikitís)person who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
Hungarian önbíráskodó, önkéntes/önjelölt polgárőr
- önbíráskodóperson who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
- önkéntes/önjelölt polgárőrperson who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
- önkényes igazságosztó/rendfenntartóperson who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
Japanese 自警団員
- 自警団員 (jikeidan'in)person who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
Polish but see samozwańczy obrońca
- but see samozwańczy obrońcaperson who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
Portuguese justiceiro
- justiceiroperson who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
Russian дружи́нник, дружи́нница
- дружи́нник (družínnik)person who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
- дружи́нница (družínnica)person who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
- виджила́нте (vidžilántɛ)person who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
- член «комите́та бди́тельности»person who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
- титу́шка (titúška)person who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
- хунвэйби́н (xunvɛjbín)person who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
- черносо́тенец (černosótenec)person who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
- охотноря́дец (oxotnorjádec)person who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
- погро́мщик (pogrómščik)person who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
Spanish justiciero, vigilantista
- justicieroperson who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
- vigilantistaperson who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
Thai ศาลเตี้ย
- ศาลเตี้ย (sǎan-dtîia)person who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
Turkish kabadayı
- kabadayıperson who considers it their responsibility to summarily uphold the law
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
vigilante. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vigilante
MLA
“vigilante.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vigilante. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vigilante,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vigilante.
Source: vigilante on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.