Skip to content

vandalisme

vandalism

noun vahn-dah-LEES-muh Rare

Origin: From the Vandals, a Germanic tribe that sacked Rome in 455 CE

Usage Note

Vandalisme denotes wilful damage to public or private property and carries a strong negative register. The perpetrator is a vandale (m/f), which is also used figuratively for anyone who destroys cultural or natural heritage. The word entered French after the revolutionary-era bishop Grégoire coined vandalisme in 1794 to condemn the destruction of artworks.

Examples

"Les actes de vandalisme ont augmenté cette année."

Natural Translation

Acts of vandalism have increased this year.

Explore French by topic