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

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.

Example Sentences

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

This is a civil initiative, "No to Plunder", and the majority of demonstrators are teenagers and students mobilised through social media.

From BBC • Jun. 26, 2015

I recommend, for one, reading “Retirement Heist: How Companies Plunder and Profit from the Nest Eggs of American Workers.“ Spoiler alert: you will feel rage.

From Salon • May 26, 2015

“Greedy mad eyes? Plunder? Are you afraid of me, Ruza?”

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Related Words

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