Meaning & use
victimhood
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Meanings
noununcountable
the state or identity of being a victim, especially when someone feels or claims to be treated unfairly.
Grammar: Uncountable; use it with words like 'sense of' or 'culture of' rather than a/an.
Patterns
- a sense of victimhood
- a culture of victimhood
- claim victimhood
After the trial, she spoke about the victimhood she had felt for years.
The politician accused his opponents of playing the victimhood card to avoid criticism.
noununcountable
the condition of being harmed or made to suffer by someone or something.
Grammar: Uncountable; often used after prepositions like 'in' or 'of'.
Patterns
- in victimhood
- the victimhood of someone
The report documented the victimhood of refugees caught in the conflict.
He rejected the idea that victimhood was a permanent part of his identity.
Common combinations
- sense of victimhood
- He has a strong sense of victimhood after being passed over for promotion.
- culture of victimhood
- Critics say the university encourages a culture of victimhood.
- claim victimhood
- She claimed victimhood in order to gain sympathy.
- play the victimhood card
- He played the victimhood card when his mistakes were pointed out.
- collective victimhood
- The group's collective victimhood became a central part of its identity.
Synonyms and how they differ
- victimization
- Victimization focuses on the act of making someone a victim, while victimhood focuses on the state or identity of being one.
- martyrdom
- Martyrdom suggests suffering for a cause and often implies admiration, whereas victimhood is more neutral or critical.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: victimhood or victimization?
victimhood vs victimization
Victimization is the process or act of being made a victim; victimhood is the resulting state or identity.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'victimhood' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Victimhood' is the correct uncountable noun meaning the state of being a victim. 'Victimization' refers to the act or process, 'victim' is a countable person noun, and 'victimize' is a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “victimhood”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.