破坏是对一个结构或象征的明显涂损或毁损。这种行为可能是为了表达辱蔑、创意、或两者均有。西方语言中，「破坏」一词的来源，是日尔曼的汪达尔人，据信他们在445年无情地劫掠了罗马。此词首次使用，是1794年1月在法国大革命时期，布卢瓦（Blois）地方constitutional bishop亨利·格来瓜尔（Henri Grégoire）给Republican Convention（共和国会议）递交的报告，其中使用了Vandalisme这个词来描述共和**队的一些作为。

Vandalism is "action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property".

The term includes criminal damage such as graffiti and defacement directed towards any property without permission of the owner. The term finds its roots in an Enlightenment view that the Germanic Vandals were a uniquely destructive people.