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Synonyms

arson

American  
[ahr-suhn] / ˈɑr sən /

noun

  1. Law. the malicious burning of another's house or property, or in some statutes, the burning of one's own house or property, as to collect insurance.

arson British  
/ ˈɑːsən /

noun

  1. criminal law the act of intentionally or recklessly setting fire to another's property or to one's own property for some improper reason

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • arsonist noun
  • arsonous adjective

Etymology

Origin of arson

First recorded in 1670–80; from Anglo-French, Old French, from Late Latin ārsiōn-, stem of ārsiō “a burn,” from ārs(us) “burned” (past participle of Latin ārd(ere) “to burn”; ardent ) + -iō -ion

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 mysterious arson fires in a Hollywood neighborhood started small.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Security had already been beefed up at Jewish public institutions, following a suspected arson attack on a synagogue in the port city of Rotterdam on Friday.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

A day after federal prosecutors announced that the catastrophic Palisades fire was caused by the rekindling of a smaller arson fire days earlier, Los Angeles city officials were in damage control mode.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026

The two co-owners of Le Constallation, French couple Jacques and Jessica Moretti, have been accused of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence.

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2026

We filed a case in Pennsylvania to help Trina Garnett, the girl who had been convicted for arson.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

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.