vigilante C1 Topic:Crime & Justice US /ˌvɪd͡ʒ.əˈlæn.ti/ UK /ˌvɪd͡ʒ.ɪˈlæn.ti/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 noun A person who takes it upon themselves to pursue or punish suspected wrongdoers without legal authority. The police warned that a vigilante could endanger innocent people. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · a person who takes it upon... self-appointed enforcer Word family Forms vigilantes Etymology Borrowed from Spanish vigilante, watchman or guard, from Latin vigilans, watchful. It shares its origin with vigilant but names a person rather than the quality of being alert. Topics Crime & Justice External links Google Images Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary # vigilante **Type:** Word **Level:** C1 **Part of speech:** noun **IPA (US):** /ˌvɪd͡ʒ.əˈlæn.ti/ **IPA (UK):** /ˌvɪd͡ʒ.ɪˈlæn.ti/ ## Meanings 1. A person who takes it upon themselves to pursue or punish suspected wrongdoers without legal authority. ## Examples - The police warned that a vigilante could endanger innocent people. ## Synonyms - self-appointed enforcer ## Etymology Borrowed from Spanish vigilante, watchman or guard, from Latin vigilans, watchful. It shares its origin with vigilant but names a person rather than the quality of being alert. ## Topics - Crime & Justice markdown