kleptomania
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of kleptomania
1820–30; klepto- (combining form of Greek kléptēs thief ) + -mania
Explanation
Kleptomania is an addiction to stealing. People with kleptomania can’t help but steal stuff, whether they need it or not. The word kleptomania comes from the Greek word kleptes for "thief" and mania for “madness.” Pyromania makes people want to light everything on fire, and kleptomania makes people want to steal all the time. People who have kleptomania — kleptomaniacs — are crazy about stealing. Rich people can have kleptomania, which shows their stealing isn't for economic reasons. When you have kleptomania, the rush of stealing is similar to the rush of other addictions.
Vocabulary lists containing kleptomania
Psychological Conditions and Disorders
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Psychology
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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.
It developed in ancient Egypt and Greece with the belief that a uterus wandering throughout the body could account for any number of disorders: kleptomania, epilepsy, depression, etc.
From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2019
She lost several jobs over greedy business negotiations for perks, and even had bouts of kleptomania.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 22, 2019
The kleptomania reached its final shameful heights when we visited a small family-run honey farm on our last day.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 11, 2017
Here are three more worthy of debate in rank order of kleptomania degrees, worst first.
From Forbes ● Feb. 12, 2015
When statesmen steal it's called diplomacy, when the rich steal it's called kleptomania or business, and it's only when the poor steal that stealing is termed theft.
From The Sorcery Club by Elliott O'Donnell
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
