kleptomaniac
Americannoun
adjective
Etymology
Origin of kleptomaniac
First recorded in 1860–65; kleptomani(a) + -ac
Explanation
If you notice that every time your friend Sarah comes over, all your binder clips and pens disappear, it may be that your friend is a kleptomaniac. If you’ve ever known a kleptomaniac, it won’t surprise you to learn that the word kleptomaniac has origins that trace back to the Greek words for “thief” and “madness.” A kleptomaniac has a mental disorder that compels the person to steal. Unlike a shoplifter, who will steal an item he or she wants or needs, a kleptomaniac steals for the thrill of stealing, often taking items that have little or no value.
Vocabulary lists containing kleptomaniac
It's Madness!: Mania
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Winning Words from the New York Times Learning Network / Vocabulary.com Student Vocab Video Contest
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The Lost Hero
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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.
I’m pretty sure it’s from a neighbor many, many years ago when I was a slightly kleptomaniac child, but I was a child and may have that wrong.
From Washington Post • Jun. 18, 2022
A kleptomaniac cat notorious for stealing items from its neighbours has "finally brought home something of real value" - £25.70 in cash.
From BBC • Mar. 4, 2019
Her Dame Judi Dench is a kleptomaniac mischief-maker, clogging toilets in five-star hotels just because as a “national treasure,” she can get away with it.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 29, 2016
Ms. Estefan wasn’t on television calling Madonna a kleptomaniac, and Latin freestyle and Latin artists weren’t part of any identifiable movement.
From New York Times • Nov. 17, 2015
On remand for numerous larcenies: Mulch Diggums, the kleptomaniac dwarf.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
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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.