A word of Spanish origin meaning “watchman” or “guard.” The Latin root is vigil, which means to be awake or to be observant. Today, when an individual takes the law into his or her hands, he or she is said to be partaking in vigilante activities, or vigilantism. The phrase “taking the law into your own hands” describes what some refer to as a “secret police force.”  Vigilantes appear in the real world and in the virtual world.