victimology
vik-tih-MOL-uh-jee
Definition
The study or practice of emphasizing one's status as a victim, often used in this article to describe a social condition where people base their identity and perceived virtue on historical or personal grievances.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'victima' (a sacrificial animal or person) combined with the Greek suffix '-logia' (the study of). It originated in the mid-20th century to describe the study of crime victims, but has since expanded to describe the broader cultural phenomenon of victimhood.
In the news
The author argues that in a modern, desacralized society, institutions have replaced traditional faith with victimology, turning the collective focus toward identity-based grievance rather than higher spiritual purposes.
Unmaking Machiavelli’s Modernity
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