Vigilante

Definitions

1. A member of a vigilance committee.
2. A surname.
3. A person who acts outside of legal authority, often violently, to punish or avenge a crime, right a perceived wrong, etc.

Equivalents

Examples

“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.”

“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.”

CEFR level