# Not a Victim, But a ??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 15, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-victim-but-a/510200 "2009-09-15T18:24:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-victim-but-a/510200/1 "2009-09-15T18:24:47Z")
If I kill someone in self-defense, is the person my victim? Or is there another word? ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4bbf92/32.png) [@Heart\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-victim-but-a/510200/2 "2009-09-15T18:26:51Z")
Slain attacker? ---
**Author:** ![Flymaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c4cdca/32.png) [@Flymaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flymaster)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-victim-but-a/510200/3 "2009-09-15T18:32:50Z")
They’re the victim of your actions. I don’t think “victim” implies any particular moral righteousness. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-victim-but-a/510200/4 "2009-09-15T18:39:55Z")
Agreed. A person who dies in an accident is an accident victim. Killing a person is not necessarily the same as murdering a person. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-victim-but-a/510200/5 "2009-09-15T23:07:06Z")
DRT comes to mind. Dead Right There. I’m thinking it can be nouned without much effort. ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-victim-but-a/510200/6 "2009-09-15T23:41:48Z")
Neutralized Aggressor? ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-victim-but-a/510200/7 "2009-09-16T00:28:20Z")
Latin had a word for it, according to some online sources: _forbatudus_. I don’t see it in my Latin dictionary, though. ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-victim-but-a/510200/8 "2009-09-16T00:36:50Z")
If you killed them in self-defense, then you killed your assailant. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-victim-but-a/510200/9 "2009-09-16T00:45:59Z")
In martial arts the neutral term “opponent” is generally used to identify an opposing combatant. In police jargon the term “suspect” or “perpetrator” is generally applied, even if the person in question was not charged with any specific criminal act at the time the engagement occurred. I would not use the term “victim” in regard to someone you defended yourself against in any context, and especially not one that may be later read in court. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-victim-but-a/510200/10 "2009-09-16T01:29:39Z")
“Lawful prey.” ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-victim-but-a/510200/11 "2009-09-16T03:46:22Z")
Attacker or assailant. If this happened in your house, he could also be called an intruder. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-victim-but-a/510200/12 "2009-09-16T04:44:26Z")
Assailant, aggressor or decedent is what I’ve seen in police reports. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-victim-but-a/510200/13 "2009-09-16T11:12:32Z")
“The deceased”. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-victim-but-a/510200/14 "2009-09-16T14:17:44Z")
“former perp”