First Known Use: 1856
Dictionary
vigilante
noun vig·i·lan·te \ˌvi-jə-ˈlan-tē\
: a person who is not a police officer but who tries to catch and punish criminals
Full Definition of VIGILANTE
: a member of a volunteer committee organized to suppress and punish crime summarily (as when the processes of law are viewed as inadequate); broadly : a self-appointed doer of justice
— vig·i·lan·tism \-ˈlan-ˌti-zəm\ noun
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Origin of VIGILANTE
Spanish, watchman, guard, from vigilante vigilant, from Latin vigilant-, vigilans
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VIGILANTE Defined for Kids
vigilante
noun vig·i·lan·te \ˌvi-jə-ˈlan-tē\
Definition of VIGILANTE for Kids
: a member of a group of volunteers who are not police but who decide on their own to stop crime and punish criminals
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