vandal

[ van-dl ]
/ ˈvæn dl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR vandal ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

(initial capital letter) a member of a Germanic people who in the 5th century a.d. ravaged Gaul and Spain, settled in Africa, and in a.d. 455 sacked Rome.
a person who willfully or ignorantly destroys or mars something beautiful or valuable.

adjective

(initial capital letter) of or relating to the Vandals.
imbued with or characterized by vandalism.

Origin of vandal

First recorded in 1545–55, vandal is from the Late Latin word Vandalus, Latinized tribal name

Words nearby vandal

vanbrugh, vance, vancomycin, vancouver, vanda, vandal, vandalia, vandalic, vandalism, vandalize, vandals

Words related to vandal

destroyer, looter, thief, plunderer, hoodlum, mischief-maker, pirate, despoiler, pillager, ravager

Example sentences from the Web for vandal

British Dictionary definitions for vandal (1 of 2)

vandal
/ (ˈvændəl) /

noun

  1. a person who deliberately causes damage or destruction to personal or public property
  2. (as modifier)vandal instincts

Word Origin for vandal

C17: from Vandal, from Latin Vandallus, of Germanic origin

British Dictionary definitions for vandal (2 of 2)

Vandal
/ (ˈvændəl) /

noun

a member of a Germanic people that raided Roman provinces in the 3rd and 4th centuries ad before devastating Gaul (406–409), conquering Spain and N Africa, and sacking Rome (455): crushed by Belisarius at Carthage (533)

Derived forms of Vandal

Vandalic (vænˈdælɪk), adjective Vandalism, noun