Victimize

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈvɪktɪmaɪz/

Definitions

1. To subject an individual to unfair treatment, causing harm or distress, while also exploiting their vulnerabilities for personal gain or manipulation
2. To inflict suffering on a person by causing them to be treated unjustly, often involving exploitation or manipulation of their situation
3. To cause harm or unfair treatment to someone, often by taking advantage of their weaknesses or difficult circumstances ; to use another person's situation to unfairly benefit oneself or control them

Etymology: "Victimize" is a plain formation: the noun "victim" with the verb-forming suffix "-ize" attached. The noun reached English through Middle French "victime" from Latin "victima," a sacrificial animal, and the suffix comes from Greek "-izein," which Latin later adopted as "-izare." English took "-ize" in through Middle French "-iser" and Middle English "-isen," so the verb is built from parts that entered the language at different times. The shift that makes the word interesting is in the noun itself. "Victim" first described a creature slaughtered in a religious rite, and only later came to mean a person harmed by someone else. "Victimize" carries that later sense forward, so it describes turning a person into the one who suffers the sacrifice, whether through injustice, cruelty, or exploitation of a weakness.

Synonyms: abuse, exploit

Antonyms: protect, safeguard