What does "vandal" mean?
A person who needlessly destroys, defaces, or damages things, especially other people's property.
Vandal
/ˈvændəl/ adj, name, noun
adj, name, noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person who needlessly destroys, defaces, or damages things, especially other people's property.
- Grammar: vandal is listed as adj, name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: animal, annihilator, anthropophagite, arsonist.
- Useful contrasts: Roman, civilian, conserver.
- Usage evidence: The witness says that the vandal was around 18 years old.
How to use "vandal"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "vandal" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "vandal" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "vandal" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "vandal" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "vandal" is acting as adj, name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "animal" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "vandal", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person who needlessly destroys, defaces, or damages things, especially other people's property.
"Vandals spray-painted obscenities on the side of the building."
- 2 A member of an ancient east Germanic tribe famous for sacking Rome. historical
- 3 someone who willfully destroys or defaces property wordnet
- 4 a member of the Germanic people who overran Gaul and Spain and North Africa and sacked Rome in 455 wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Of or relating to the Vandals. not-comparable
Proper Noun
- 1 An extinct East Germanic language ascribed to have been spoken by the Vandals.
Example
"The witness says that the vandal was around 18 years old."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "vandal"?
Common synonyms include: animal, annihilator, anthropophagite, arsonist, barbarian, barbarian.
How do you use "vandal" in a sentence?
The witness says that the vandal was around 18 years old.
How do you pronounce "vandal"?
Pronounced /ˈvændəl/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
1660s, “willful destroyer of what is beautiful or venerable”, from Vandal, referring to a member of an ancient Germanic people, the Vandals, who are associated with senseless destruction as a result of their sack of Rome under King Genseric in 455. During the Enlightenment, Rome was idealized, while the Goths and Vandals were blamed for its destruction. The Vandals may not have been any more destructive than other invaders of ancient times, but they did inspire English poet John Dryden to write, Till Goths, and Vandals, a rude Northern race, Did all the matchless Monuments deface (1694). However, the Vandals did intentionally damage statues, which may be why their name is associated with the vandalism of art. The coining of French Vandalisme by Henri Grégoire in 1794 to describe the destruction of artwork following the French Revolution popularized the idea further, and the term was quickly adopted across Europe, including as English vandalism.
Etymology 2
From Latin Vandalus, named after the Germanic tribe, from Proto-Germanic *wandilaz, from Proto-Indo-European *wendʰ-eh₂-, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wendʰ- (“to turn, wind, braid”). Also related to Old English Wendlas.