Definition: Vandalism
Etymology
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.
Noun
vandalism (countable and uncountable, plural vandalisms)
- 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.
Derived terms
- antivandalism
- cybervandalism
Related terms
- vandal
- vandalize
Credits
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