robbery

American  

[rob-uh-ree] / ˈrɒb ə ri /

noun

plural

robberies

1. the act, the practice, or an instance of robbing.

   Synonyms:

   burglary, theft, pillage, plunder

2. Law. the felonious taking of someone's property from their person or in their immediate presence, against their will, by violence or intimidation.

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robbery British  

/ ˈrɒbərɪ /

noun

1. criminal law the stealing of property from a person by using or threatening to use force

2. the act or an instance of robbing

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robbery Idioms  

1. see daylight robbery; highway robbery.

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Usage

What does robbery mean? Robbery is the act of robbing—stealing, especially by force or through threats of violence.Someone who commits robbery is called a robber.Robbery can involve robbing a person or a place, such as a house or business. The robbery of a person on the street is often called a mugging. The act of robbing a bank is called bank robbery. Armed robbery involves robbing a person or place while armed with a weapon.Robbery is a kind of theft, which is the act of stealing. However, the word theft often refers to a case in which a thief steals something without anyone noticing, at least not when the theft is taking place. In contrast, a case in which a person steals by using force, violence, or threats of violence would more likely be called a robbery.The word rob can also be used in a kind of figurative way meaning to unfairly deprive someone of something, but robbery is usually only used in a literal sense.Example: Police have released sketches of the suspects in the hopes that someone can identify the men involved in the robbery.

Other Word Forms

• antirobbery adjective

Etymology

Origin of robbery

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English robberie from Old French. See rob, -ery

Compare meaning

How does robbery compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• larceny vs. robbery

Example Sentences

The robbery suspect has since been identified as Emmanuel Mbense, who died in April 2022.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

Continuing drops in a range of other reported crimes, such as robbery and theft, point to a public-safety rebound after the upheaval spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

Burton had previously apologized to Battle’s family in a public letter where he acknowledged that it took him a long time and stamina to admit his role in the robbery.

From Slate • Mar. 6, 2026

Brownstone pointed jurors to a series of text messages that Halem sent and received after the robbery.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

It was a mistake. 0'BRIEN You also said that the robbery was a mistake.

From "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers

Related Words

• break in
• burglary
• embezzlement
• felony
• heist
• holdup
• larceny
• looting
• mugging
• theft
• wrongdoing