an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance
"After years of battling severe arthritis, she felt like just a victim of her own body failing to heal itself."
One that is harmed—killed, injured, subjected to oppression, deceived, or otherwise adversely affected—by someone or something, especially another person or event, force, or condition; in particular:
"The car accident left the driver a victim of poor road conditions."
One who is harmed or killed by a crime or scam.
"The police interviewed several victims of the phishing scam to recover their stolen funds."
In plain English: A victim is someone who gets hurt or suffers because of something bad that happened to them.
"The police interviewed the victim to get details about the robbery."
Usage: Use victim specifically when an individual suffers harm from the deliberate actions of another person or entity, such as in crimes or scams. Avoid using it for accidental injuries unless there was clear intent to cause that specific outcome on someone's part.
The word victim comes from the Middle French victime, which was borrowed from the Latin victima. In its original sense, it referred to an animal offered as a sacrifice.