vigilante
vij-uh-LAN-tee · noun
Origin
Borrowed from Spanish vigilante, meaning "watchman" or "guard," which traces back to Latin vigilans.
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Journey
The word entered English as a direct borrowing from Spanish, keeping its sense of someone keeping watch, though it's since narrowed toward people who take on enforcement or justice without official authority.
Related words
It's a doublet of vigilant — both descend from the same Latin root, vigilans, one arriving through Spanish and one through a more direct path into English.