kleptomania
or clep·to·ma·ni·a
[ klep-tuh-mey-nee-uh, -meyn-yuh ]
/ ˌklɛp təˈmeɪ ni ə, -ˈmeɪn yə /
Save This Word!
noun Psychology.
an irresistible impulse to steal, stemming from emotional disturbance rather than economic need.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!
In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”
Question 1 of 7
The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.
Origin of kleptomania
Words nearby kleptomania
klepht, klepto, kleptocracy, kleptocrat, kleptocratic, kleptomania, kleptomaniac, klesha, kletterschuh, Kleve, klezmer
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for kleptomania
British Dictionary definitions for kleptomania
kleptomania
/ (ˌklɛptəʊˈmeɪnɪə) /
noun
psychol a strong impulse to steal, esp when there is no obvious motivation
Derived forms of kleptomania
kleptomaniac, nounWord Origin for kleptomania
C19: klepto- from Greek kleptēs thief, from kleptein to steal + -mania
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
Medical definitions for kleptomania
kleptomania
[ klĕp′tə-mā′nē-ə, -mān′yə ]
n.
An obsessive impulse to steal regardless of economic need, usually arising from an unconscious symbolic value associated with the stolen item.
Other words from kleptomania
klep′to•ma′ni•ac′ (-nē-ăk′) adj.The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cultural definitions for kleptomania
kleptomania
[ (klep-tuh-may-nee-uh) ]
A compulsion to steal, usually without either economic need or personal desire.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.