plunder

[ pluhn-der ]

/ ˈplʌn dər /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR plunder ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to rob of goods or valuables by open force, as in war, hostile raids, brigandage, etc.: to plunder a town.

to rob, despoil, or fleece: to plunder the public treasury.

to take wrongfully, as by pillage, robbery, or fraud: to plunder a piece of property.

verb (used without object)

to take plunder; pillage.

noun

plundering, pillage, or spoliation.

that which is taken in plundering; loot.

anything taken by robbery, theft, or fraud.

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Lincolnesque

without interest or significance; dull; insipid.

like or characteristic of Abraham Lincoln.

very high or tall; lofty.

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Words nearby plunder

plumpish, plumulaceous, plumule, plumulose, plumy, plunder, plunderage, plunge, plunge basin, plunge bath, plunge pool

Origin of plunder

First recorded in 1620–30, plunder is from the Dutch word plunderen

SYNONYMS FOR plunder

1 rape, ravage, sack, devastate.

5 rapine, robbery.

6 booty, spoils.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR plunder ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM plunder

plun·der·a·ble, adjectiveplun·der·er, nounplun·der·ing·ly, adverbplun·der·ous, adjective

un·plun·dered, adjectiveun·plun·der·ous, adjectiveun·plun·der·ous·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for plunder

It was up to the countries in which these acts of plunder had taken place to decide who rightfully owned the recovered works.
My Grandfather's War: Recovering the Art the Nazis Stole|Anne Sinclair|October 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When they ran out of food, he would “go down to Babylon to plunder,” which means stealing from grocery stores.
Speed Read: 9 Revelations From Elizabeth Smart’s Memoir, ‘My Story’|The Daily Beast|October 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In contrast to other brigades, whose motto is “fight by day, plunder by night,” ISIS is a dedicated combat force.
How U.S. Strikes on Syria Help al Qaeda|Barak Barfi|August 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And it is repeated: “on the plunder they did not lay their hand.”
Purim Perils: His View Is His Own|Rabbi Daniel Landes|February 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Until the public demands value for their money, insurers will continue their plunder.
We're Still Stuck With Predatory Insurance Companies|Noah Kristula-Green|March 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The major part of the plunder and the carts were still where they had been drawn up.
Mr. Midshipman Easy|Captain Frederick Marryat
Our commerce has unquestionably been subject to great embarrassment, vexation, and plunder, from the belligerents of Europe.
Abridgement of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856 (4 of 16 vol.)|Various
He wanted "compensation" for not getting any plunder out of Holy Cross, so he robbed Mr. Ryan of seventy thousand dollars.
Curly|Roger Pocock
The men were too much taken up with the plunder to mind what I was about.
A Sea Queen's Sailing|Charles Whistler
Like their modern descendants, they lived by the plunder of their more peaceful neighbours.
Patriarchal Palestine|Archibald Henry Sayce

British Dictionary definitions for plunder

plunder

/ (ˈplʌndə) /

verb

to steal (valuables, goods, sacred items, etc) from (a town, church, etc) by force, esp in time of war; loot

(tr) to rob or steal (choice or desirable things) from (a place)to plunder an orchard

noun

anything taken by plundering or theft; booty

the act of plundering; pillage

Derived forms of plunder

plunderable, adjectiveplunderer, nounplunderous, adjective

Word Origin for plunder

C17: probably from Dutch plunderen (originally: to plunder household goods); compare Middle High German plunder bedding, household goods

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

plunder

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

QUIZZES

Words related to plunder

Words nearby plunder

Origin of plunder

SYNONYMS FOR plunder

OTHER WORDS FROM plunder

Example sentences from the Web for plunder

British Dictionary definitions for plunder

verb

noun

Derived forms of plunder

Word Origin for plunder