Victim vs. Survivor — What's the Difference?

By Tayyaba Rehman — Published on September 24, 2023

A victim is someone who has suffered harm, loss, or injustice, often highlighting their vulnerability. A survivor is someone who has lived through adversity or danger but emphasizes resilience and overcoming challenges.

Difference Between Victim and Survivor

Table of Contents

➝ Key Differences ➝ Comparison Chart ➝ Definitions ➝ FAQs

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Key Differences

From a grammatical standpoint, both "victim" and "survivor" are nouns. While "victim" is generally used in a more passive sense to describe someone who has been acted upon, "survivor" is often used in a more active sense, focusing on the individual's agency and resilience. Both words can be modified by adjectives to be more specific, such as "crime victim" or "cancer survivor."

Sep 24, 2023

A victim is generally described as a person who has been harmed, often physically, emotionally, or financially. This term focuses on the suffering and vulnerability experienced due to an event, person, or circumstance. A survivor, on the other hand, is someone who has lived through a difficult or dangerous situation, and the term tends to emphasize their resilience and ability to overcome adversity.

Sep 24, 2023

In legal contexts, the term "victim" is often used to identify the person who has suffered due to a crime or civil wrong. "Survivor" is more commonly used in personal narratives or therapeutic settings where the emphasis is on overcoming challenges and moving forward.

Sep 24, 2023

In public discourse, there's often debate over which term to use. "Victim" might be seen as disempowering, whereas "survivor" might be seen as more empowering. However, it's essential to respect individual preferences as some people may prefer to identify as a victim to validate their experience, and others may prefer "survivor" to focus on their resilience.

Sep 24, 2023

Both terms, victim and survivor, can apply to a wide range of experiences such as accidents, crimes, natural disasters, and illnesses. While "victim" centers the experience around the act of being harmed, "survivor" focuses more on the aftermath and the process of recovery or resilience. In many cases, a person can identify as both a victim and a survivor at different stages or in different contexts.

Sep 24, 2023

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Comparison Chart

Focus

Harm, vulnerability

Resilience, overcoming

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Context

Legal, reporting

Therapeutic, personal narrative

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Grammatical Role

Generally more passive

Generally more active

Sep 24, 2023

Modifiers

Crime victim, accident victim

Cancer survivor, abuse survivor

Sep 24, 2023

Emotional Connotation

May imply helplessness

May imply empowerment

Sep 24, 2023

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Definitions

Victim

Individual hurt in an accident.

The car crash left one victim in critical condition.

Sep 19, 2023

Survivor

A person who persists in spite of challenges.

As a cancer survivor, she advocates for early detection.

Sep 19, 2023

Victim

A person tricked or duped.

He was a victim of a phishing scam.

Sep 19, 2023

Survivor

Someone who thrives despite adversity.

He's a survivor of a tough childhood.

Sep 19, 2023

Victim

Someone adversely affected by a circumstance or event.

He became a victim of his own success.

Sep 19, 2023

Survivor

One who continues to function or prosper despite difficulties.

The company is a survivor of many economic downturns.

Sep 19, 2023

Victim

One who suffers harm or loss.

The victim of the robbery was shaken but unharmed.

Sep 19, 2023

Survivor

One who remains alive after an ordeal.

She is a survivor of the plane crash.

Sep 19, 2023

Victim

One who is harmed or killed by another, especially by someone committing a criminal or unlawful act

A victim of a mugging.

Sep 17, 2023

Survivor

Individual who outlasts others in a competition or conflict.

The last survivor of the contest won a prize.

Sep 19, 2023

Victim

A living creature slain and offered as a sacrifice during a religious rite.

Sep 17, 2023

Survivor

To remain alive or in existence.

Sep 17, 2023

Victim

One who is harmed by or made to suffer under a circumstance or condition

Victims of war.

Victims of an epidemic.

Victims of poverty.

Sep 17, 2023

Survivor

To carry on despite hardships or trauma; persevere

Families that were surviving in tents after the flood.

Sep 17, 2023

Victim

A person who is tricked, swindled, or taken advantage of

The victim of a cruel hoax.

Sep 17, 2023

Survivor

To remain functional or usable

I dropped the radio, but it survived.

Sep 17, 2023

Victim

One that is harmed—killed, injured, subjected to oppression, deceived, or otherwise adversely affected—by someone or something, especially another person or event, force, or condition; in particular:

The youngest victims of the brutal war

Victim of a bad decision by a rushed and overworked judge

Sep 17, 2023

Survivor

To live longer than; outlive

She survived her husband by five years.

Sep 17, 2023

Victim

One who is harmed or killed by a crime or scam.

Victims of assault; the murderer's victims

Became another victim of the latest scam

Sep 17, 2023

Survivor

To live, persist, or remain usable through

Plants that can survive frosts.

A clock that survived a fall.

Sep 17, 2023

Victim

One who is harmed or killed by an accident or illness.

A fundraiser for victims of AIDS; a victim of a car crash

Sep 17, 2023

Survivor

To cope with (a trauma or setback); persevere after

Survived child abuse.

Sep 17, 2023

Victim

One who is harmed or killed as a result of other people's biases, emotions or incompetence, or their own.

A victim of his own pride; a victim of her own incompetence

The newcomer never managed to make friends, a victim of the town's deep distrust of outsiders

A victim of sexism; victims of a racist system

Sep 17, 2023

Survivor

One who survives, especially one who survives a traumatic experience.

From this moment on, I choose to live not as a victim, but as a survivor.

Sep 17, 2023

Victim

One who is harmed or killed as a result of a natural or man-made disaster or impersonal condition.

Relief efforts to help victims of the hurricane

Victim of an optical illusion; victim of a string of bad luck

Local businesses were the main victims of the economic downturn

Sep 17, 2023

Survivor

(figuratively) A person who is able to endure hardship.

Sep 17, 2023

Victim

A living being which is slain and offered as a sacrifice, usually in a religious rite.

Sep 17, 2023

Survivor

One who knew a specific decedent.

She was from a large family and had many friends, so the funeral was crowded with mourning survivors.

Sep 17, 2023

Victim

The transfigured body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist.

Sep 17, 2023

Survivor

One who survives or outlives another person, or any time, event, or thing.

The survivor boundIn filial obligation for some termTo do obsequious sorrow.

Sep 17, 2023

Victim

A living being sacrificed to some deity, or in the performance of a religious rite; a creature immolated, or made an offering of.

Led like a victim, to my death I'll go.

Sep 17, 2023

Survivor

The longer liver of two joint tenants, or two persons having a joint interest in anything.

Sep 17, 2023

Victim

A person or thing destroyed or sacrificed in the pursuit of an object, or in gratification of a passion; as, a victim to jealousy, lust, or ambition.

Sep 17, 2023

Survivor

One who lives through affliction;

The survivors of the fire were taken to a hospital

Sep 17, 2023

Victim

A person or living creature destroyed by, or suffering grievous injury from, another, from fortune or from accident; as, the victim of a defaulter; the victim of a railroad accident.

Sep 17, 2023

Survivor

One who outlives another;

He left his farm to his survivors

Sep 17, 2023

Victim

Hence, one who is duped, or cheated; a dupe; a gull.

Sep 17, 2023

Survivor

An animal that survives in spite of adversity;

Only the fittest animals were survivors of the cold winters

Sep 17, 2023

Victim

An unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance

Sep 17, 2023

Victim

A person who is tricked or swindled

Sep 17, 2023

Victim

The recipient of unjust treatment.

She was a victim of workplace harassment.

Sep 19, 2023

FAQs

What does Victim mean?

Victim refers to someone who has suffered harm, loss, or injustice.

Sep 24, 2023

Is Victim a passive term?

Generally, "victim" is used in a more passive sense, focusing on the act of being harmed.

Sep 24, 2023

What does Survivor mean?

Survivor refers to someone who has lived through adversity or danger, emphasizing resilience.

Sep 24, 2023

What are the grammatical roles of Victim and Survivor?

Both "victim" and "survivor" function as nouns and can be modified by adjectives.

Sep 24, 2023

Are Victim and Survivor gender-specific?

No, both terms are gender-neutral.

Sep 24, 2023

Is Survivor an empowering term?

"Survivor" often has an empowering connotation, emphasizing resilience and overcoming challenges.

Sep 24, 2023

How should I choose between using Victim and Survivor?

The choice between "victim" and "survivor" often depends on the context and the preference of the individual described.

Sep 24, 2023

Does Survivor imply that one has fully recovered?

No, being a "survivor" doesn't necessarily mean one has fully recovered; it emphasizes the process of overcoming.

Sep 24, 2023

Can one be both a Victim and Survivor?

Yes, one can identify as both a victim and a survivor depending on the context and stage of experience.

Sep 24, 2023

Can Victim be used in legal contexts?

Yes, "victim" is commonly used in legal settings to denote someone who has suffered due to a crime.

Sep 24, 2023

Can Victim refer to non-human entities?

Yes, "victim" can refer to animals, companies, or other non-human entities that suffer harm.

Sep 24, 2023

Is Survivor commonly used in therapy?

"Survivor" is frequently used in therapeutic settings to focus on resilience and recovery.

Sep 24, 2023

Does Victim always imply weakness?

No, although "victim" often focuses on harm or vulnerability, it doesn't inherently imply weakness.

Sep 24, 2023

Can Survivor refer to non-human entities?

Yes, "survivor" can refer to animals, businesses, or other entities that persist despite adverse conditions.

Sep 24, 2023

Are these terms culturally sensitive?

Cultural perceptions of "victim" and "survivor" may vary, so it's important to be respectful of individual and cultural preferences.

Sep 24, 2023

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Author Spotlight

Written by

Tayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.