plunder

American  

[pluhn-der] / ˈplʌn dər /

verb (used with object)

1. to rob of goods or valuables by open force, as in war, hostile raids, brigandage, etc...

   to plunder a town.

   Synonyms:

   devastate, sack, ravage, rape

2. to rob, despoil, or fleece.

   to plunder the public treasury.

3. to take wrongfully, as by pillage, robbery, or fraud.

   to plunder a piece of property.

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verb (used without object)

1. to take plunder; pillage.

noun

1. plundering, pillage, or spoliation.

   Synonyms:

   robbery, rapine

2. that which is taken in plundering; loot.

   Synonyms:

   spoils, booty, booty

3. anything taken by robbery, theft, or fraud.

plunder British  

/ ˈplʌndə /

verb

1. to steal (valuables, goods, sacred items, etc) from (a town, church, etc) by force, esp in time of war; loot

2. (tr) to rob or steal (choice or desirable things) from (a place)

   to plunder an orchard

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noun

1. anything taken by plundering or theft; booty

2. the act of plundering; pillage

Other Word Forms

• plunderable adjective
• plunderer noun
• plunderingly adverb
• plunderous adjective
• unplundered adjective
• unplunderous adjective
• unplunderously adverb

Etymology

Origin of plunder

First recorded in 1620–30, plunder is from the Dutch word plunderen

Example Sentences

Enzo Sereni grew up in Rome, a short walk from the Arch of Titus, with its engraved legionnaires celebrating the defeat of ancient Judea by plundering the Second Temple.

From The Wall Street Journal

Kyiv plundered warehouses for veteran Soviet antiaircraft guns and fitted heavy machine guns, some almost a century old, with thermal imaging systems.

From The Wall Street Journal

Cambodian monks chanted blessings and scattered flowers Friday over 74 cultural artefacts returned to the country after being plundered by a notorious British antiques smuggler.

From Barron's

He thinks humanity is engaged in a “plunder” of nature “while our profligate use of land and energy continues to ruin our planet and threaten our existence.”

From The Wall Street Journal

But prosecutors said the real aim was to "plunder their bank accounts".

From BBC

Related Words

• devastate
• liberate
• loot
• pillage
• ransack
• requisition
• rob
• salvage