kleptomania

American  

[klep-tuh-mey-nee-uh, -meyn-yuh] / ˌklɛp təˈmeɪ ni ə, -ˈmeɪn yə /

Or cleptomania

noun

Psychology.

1. an irresistible impulse to steal, stemming from emotional disturbance rather than economic need.

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kleptomania British  

/ ˌklɛptəʊˈmeɪnɪə /

noun

1. psychol a strong impulse to steal, esp when there is no obvious motivation

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kleptomania Cultural  

1. A compulsion to steal, usually without either economic need or personal desire.

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Other Word Forms

• kleptomaniac noun

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.

Example Sentences

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

And some feel punishment for minor property offenses is insufficient to break shoplifters of their kleptomania impulses before they become a habit.

From Washington Times • Feb. 13, 2017

Unless something goes haywire in the workforce – an outbreak of kleptomania, say, or plummeting productivity – the company has little reason to tweak the filtering model.

From The Guardian • Sep. 1, 2016

Here are three more worthy of debate in rank order of kleptomania degrees, worst first.

From Forbes • Feb. 12, 2015

It is a peculiarity of kleptomania, as you are no doubt aware, that the subject is unable to differentiate between the intrinsic values of objects.

From A Wodehouse Miscellany Articles & Stories by Wodehouse, P. G. (Pelham Grenville)