plunder
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
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to steal (valuables, goods, sacred items, etc) from (a town, church, etc) by force, esp in time of war; loot
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(tr) to rob or steal (choice or desirable things) from (a place)
to plunder an orchard
noun
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anything taken by plundering or theft; booty
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the act of plundering; pillage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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plunderinglyadverb
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plunderousadjective
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unplunderedadjective
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plunderernoun
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plunderableadjective
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unplunderousadjective
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unplunderouslyadverb
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have plunderedperfect
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has plunderedperfect 3rd person singular
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have been plunderingperfect progressive
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is plunderingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are plunderingprogressive
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has been plunderingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am plunderingprogressive 1st person singular
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plunderssingular 3rd person
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plunderingparticiple
Past
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had plunderedperfect
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was plunderingprogressive singular
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were plunderingprogressive plural
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plunderedsimple
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plunderedparticiple
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had been plunderingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of plunder
First recorded in 1620–30, plunder is from the Dutch word plunderen
Explanation
Plunder can mean stolen goods or money obtained illegally, or the act of taking those things. A burglar might plunder a jewelry store and then sneak off with her plunder. Plunder is an old Middle High German word that originally meant "household goods and clothes": in other words, your stuff. During the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), English speakers acquired this word while fighting in the land that is today Germany, but with the added meaning of taking the plunder as, well, plunder. As both a noun and verb, a synonym for plunder is loot.
Vocabulary lists containing plunder
Words Every Pirate Should Know
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The Odyssey
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 19–24
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The first part was the ground offensive Operation Plunder, "which was the biggest-ever river crossing and was done by British and Canadian forces", Mr Bullock said.
From BBC • Mar. 15, 2025
Cerberus’ approach is “extremely aggressive,” says Brendan Ballou, a former federal prosecutor and author of Plunder: Private Equity’s Plan to Pillage America.
From Slate • Feb. 10, 2025
Plunder for serendipitous finds amid multiple antique malls, funky shops and Adventures Underground, a haven for fantasy and sci-fi fans, tabletop game players, and parents of kids who love all of the above.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 13, 2021
His charm offensive hit a roadblock in 2001, when he was swept up in a federal investigation known as Operation Plunder Dome.
From Washington Post • Jan. 28, 2016
“Greedy mad eyes? Plunder? Are you afraid of me, Ruza?”
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
