vandalism

American  

[van-dl-iz-uhm] / ˈvæn dlˌɪz əm /

noun

1. deliberately mischievous or malicious destruction or damage of property.

   vandalism of public buildings.

2. the conduct or spirit characteristic of the Vandals.

3. willful or ignorant destruction of artistic or literary treasures.

4. a vandalic act.

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vandalism British  

/ ˈvændəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. the wanton or deliberate destruction caused by a vandal or an instance of such destruction

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Other Word Forms

• vandalish adjective
• vandalistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of vandalism

1790–1800; vandal + -ism; compare French vandalisme

Example Sentences

In the 12 months after the Hamas assault, she said antisemitic incidents in Australia had surged 316 percent to more than 2,000 -- including threats, assaults, vandalism and intimidation.

From Barron's

After that earlier Warner mugging, I wrote about the “legalized economic vandalism that antitrust has become.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The attack ignited simmering community tensions over bad behavior — such as vandalism, harassment and speeding — linked to teenagers on e-bikes.

From Los Angeles Times

Marseille said the overflowing toilets was caused by an "act of vandalism", namely a "deliberately blocked toilet and a damaged flush mechanism".

From BBC

"We have quite a bit of vandalism," she said.

From BBC

Related Words

• mischief