Javert

English

Etymology

From Javert, a police inspector in Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables.

Noun

Javert (plural Javerts)

1. One who remorselessly pursues a perceived wrongdoer.
   • 1951, Howard Whitman, Terror in the streets, page 351:

     Whether by instinct, as in Boston, or by psychological testing, as in St. Louis, some police departments are waking up to the characterological hazards of the police profession. But unfortunately there are still a good many Javerts around.

   • 2007, John Pugsley, The Chairman's Corner, page 34:

     The Javerts in today's society are supported not with index cards and filing clerks, but with the latest electronic databases […]

   • 2010, Gayle Haggard, Why I Stayed: The Choices I Made in My Darkest Hour, page 334:

     Ted and I have Javerts in our lives, those who will not accept the fact that God the Father has welcomed his prodigal son home.

Related terms

• Javertian