How flexible is the word 'vigilante'?

Question

My understanding of vigilantism is that it constitutes any act motivated by a desire to seek justice outside of the state-enforced judicial system. As such, can one be considered a vigilante if one's personal conception of justice doesn't match up with what the majority generally considers to be justice?

In Edgar Wright's Hot Fuzz, for example, the Neighbourhood Watch Alliance murder those that they feel ruin their village's chances of winning village of the year. They're the villains of the film, but they claim to do what they do "for the greater good", so presumably from their point of view they've been punishing those that break the rules they've established for the town. The rules are bizarre, but they're rules nonetheless, and so, from a warped perspective, punishing those who break them could be considered a kind of justice.

With this in mind, could the Neighbourhood Watch Alliance be considered 'vigilantes', albeit villainous ones?

Edit: I think its worth clarifying - I mean more to ask whether the justice that an individual seeks has to be the one advocated by the state (as in nation-state, rather than US state), or could it be their own personal idea of justice? Does a vigilante have to uphold existing laws, or can they uphold their own?

Answer 1

vigilante implies going outside the law; the law applies to everyone and isn't a matter of choice or preference. But neighborhood watch groups, which often exist, aren't an example of vigilantism. It's not a question, however, of one's view that the current administration of justice may be inadequate or inappropriate; it's a question of what one does.

MW on vigilante:

Definition of vigilante

a member of a volunteer committee organized to suppress and punish crime summarily (as when the processes of law are viewed as inadequate); broadly : a self-appointed doer of justice

The Meaning and Origin of vigilante

Vigilante entered English in the 19th century, borrowed from the Spanish word of the same spelling which meant “watchman, guard” in that language. The Spanish word can be traced back to the Latin vigilare, meaning “to keep awake.” The earliest use of the word in English was to refer to a member of a vigilance committee, a committee organized to suppress and punish crime summarily, as when the processes of law appear inadequate. The word may often be found in an attributive role, as in the phrases “vigilante justice,” or “vigilante group.” In this slightly broadened sense it carries the suggestion of the enforcement of laws without regard to due process or the general rule of law.

Note, however, that citizens may have the power to make an arrest: Citizen's Arrest

In certain situations, private individuals have the power to make an arrest without a warrant. These types of arrests, known as citizens arrests, occur when ordinary people either detain criminals themselves or direct police officers to detain a criminal.

Fictional heros, superheros, detectives, and commandos may have a vigilante aspect--they may violate the law in order to bring justice. For example:

Batman

Jack Reacher (Lee Child's books)

Pike Logan (Brad Taylor)

Mitch Rabb (Vince Flynn)

Answer 2

A vigilante is simply (from Spanish) a night watchman, from vigilant, meaning (per OED),

Wakeful and watchful; keeping steadily on the alert; attentively or closely observant.

Most uses of the term are connected with guarding against the illegal and criminal, but it is difficult always to be clear exactly what that is. Opinions differ as to what is legally proper. I did find this example of vigilant, at least suggesting that the officers of the law were not always beyond a need to be watched.

1845 H. H. Wilson Hist. Brit. India 1805–35 I. vii. 400 It was impossible for him to exercise a vigilant personal supervision over the officers of the police.