Added 9 October 2026
vandalism
/ˈvændəlɪzm̩/ noun
In Latin: corruptiō, ruptiō, vandalismus Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about vandalism at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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Willful damage to or destruction of any property, such as graffiti or defacement.
As we turned down the street I was appalled by the vandalism: spray paint and smashed windows that were everywhere.
Origin
Borrowed from French vandalisme, first used by Henri Grégoire to decry the pillage and destruction of art in the course of the French Revolution, in reference to the East Germanic tribe of the Vandals, which looted Rome in 455. By surface analysis, vandal + -ism.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)