robber

[rob-er]

noun

1. a person who robs.

   Synonyms: burglar, brigand, bandit, highwayman

Word History and Origins

Origin of robber¹

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English robbere, from Old French robere. See rob, -er ¹

Synonym Study

See thief.

Example Sentences

Season 1’s subjects ranged from Francis of Assisi to Moses the Black, a robber turned monk and martyr in the fourth century.

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The robbers were disturbed, with Sterling reportedly confronting them, and fled before they could steal anything.

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Last month's spectacular Louvre heist, in which robbers made off with some of France's crown jewels, was a "deafening wake-up call" for museum security, the head of France's highest audit institution said Thursday.

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Another video showed a robber carrying a weapon and opening the rear door of the van, while another loaded briefcases into the vehicle.

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Twenty-eight employees were present when the robbers struck.

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Related Words

• bandit 
• burglar 
• con artist 
• crook 
• looter www.thesaurus.com
• marauder 
• mugger 
• pickpocket 
• pirate 
• raider 
• rustler 
• shoplifter 
• swindler 
• thief 
• thug 

When To Use

What does robber mean?

A robber is a person who robs—steals, especially by force or through threats of violence.In other words, a robber is someone who commits robbery.A robber can rob a person or a place, such as a house or business. A robber who robs a person on the street is often called a mugger. A person who robs a bank is called a bank robber and the act of doing this is called bank robbery. An armed robber is a person who commits armed robbery, which involves robbing a person or place while armed with a weapon.A robber is a kind of thief, which is a person who steals things. However, the word thief usually refers to a person who steals without anyone noticing, at least not when the theft is taking place. In contrast, a person who steals by using force, violence, or threats of force or violence would more likely be called a robber.The word rob can also be used in a kind of figurative way meaning to unfairly deprive someone of something, but robber is only used to refer to someone who robs in the literal sense.Example: Police have released sketches of the suspects in the hopes that someone can identify the bank robbers.