kleptomania
or clep·to·ma·ni·a
[ klep-tuh-mey-nee-uh, -meyn-yuh ]
/ ˌklɛp təˈmeɪ ni ə, -ˈmeɪn yə /
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noun Psychology.
an irresistible impulse to steal, stemming from emotional disturbance rather than economic need.
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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.