noun
- acts of law enforcement undertaken by citizens without legal authority, especially when official law enforcement is perceived as inadequate
Usage: plural form of vigilantism
Examples
- The rise in vigilantisms concerned local authorities who feared escalating violence.
- Historical vigilantisms in the Old West often resulted in wrongful punishments.
- The community condemned recent vigilantisms as dangerous and counterproductive.
- Scholars studied various vigilantisms across different cultures and time periods.
- The documentary examined vigilantisms that emerged during periods of social unrest.
- Police warned that vigilantisms could interfere with ongoing investigations.