Meaning & use
vandalism
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Meanings
noununcountable
The deliberate destruction or defacement of property belonging to someone else.
Grammar: Uncountable: say a lot of vandalism, not a vandalism. Use the countable noun act of vandalism for one incident.
Patterns
- commit vandalism
- an act of vandalism
- vandalism against something
The school has installed cameras to reduce vandalism.
Graffiti and broken windows are common forms of vandalism.
He was arrested for vandalism after smashing the shop window.
noununcountablefigurative
The act of damaging or spoiling something beautiful or valuable.
Grammar: Used figuratively about things that are not physical property, such as art, language, or nature.
Patterns
- vandalism of something
Cutting down those ancient trees was an act of environmental vandalism.
Critics called the redesign of the old theatre cultural vandalism.
Common combinations
- an act of vandalism
- Police are treating the fire as an act of vandalism.
- commit vandalism
- Anyone who commits vandalism here will be fined.
- vandalism and graffiti
- The new fence was put up to stop vandalism and graffiti.
- a wave of vandalism
- There was a wave of vandalism in the park last summer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- damage
- Damage can be accidental; vandalism is always deliberate and usually a crime.
- destruction
- Destruction is stronger and means ruining something completely; vandalism often means spoiling it, not destroying it entirely.
Word family
Commonly confused: vandalism or vandalisation?
vandalism vs vandalisation
This word is rare; the usual noun is vandalism.
Practice
The council is trying to stop ___ in the town center.
Choose one answer.
Vandalism is uncountable, so it has no article or plural in this general sense. A vandalism and vandalisms are not used.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “vandalism”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.