robbery
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an·ti·rob·ber·y, adjectiveWords nearby robbery
MORE ABOUT ROBBERY
What does robbery mean?
Robbery is the act of robbing—stealing, especially by force or through threats of violence.
Someone who commits robbery is called a robber.
Robbery can involve robbing a person or a place, such as a house or business. The robbery of a person on the street is often called a mugging. The act of robbing a bank is called bank robbery. Armed robbery involves robbing a person or place while armed with a weapon.
Robbery is a kind of theft, which is the act of stealing. However, the word theft often refers to a case in which a thief steals something without anyone noticing, at least not when the theft is taking place. In contrast, a case in which a person steals by using force, violence, or threats of violence would more likely be called a robbery.
The word rob can also be used in a kind of figurative way meaning to unfairly deprive someone of something, but robbery is usually only used in a literal sense.
Example: Police have released sketches of the suspects in the hopes that someone can identify the men involved in the robbery.
Where does robbery come from?
The first records of the word robbery come from the 1100s. It comes from the Middle English robberie.
The word robbery is commonly used in the term bank robbery. That’s probably because money is the most popular thing to steal, and the bank is where the money is.
The word robbery appears in the term highway robbery, which refers to excessive overcharging. It likens a price that’s considered way too high to theft, as in Ten bucks for a hot dog? That’s highway robbery!
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What are some other forms related to robbery?
What are some words that share a root or word element with robbery?
What are some words that often get used in discussing robbery?
How is robbery used in real life?
You’re most likely to encounter the word robbery in news reports.
Help the #FBI bring violent criminals to justice. If you have a tip that could lead to the identification or arrest of individuals responsible for murder, rape, robbery, or aggravated assault, visit https://t.co/iL7sD5efWD. #TipTuesday https://t.co/SXrw0JUd0V pic.twitter.com/2y1HWdBJFL
— FBI (@FBI) September 29, 2020
Please see the following Press Release and Suspect information regarding the bank robbery at Citizen's Bank inside the Stop & Shop on Chauncy St. If you have any information about this suspect, please contact MPD at our tip line 508-261-7356, or send us a direct message. pic.twitter.com/WwbEQGKxDK
— Mansfield Police MA (@MansfieldMAPD) December 17, 2020
The Asheville Police Department says their suspect in an armed bank robbery Tuesday matches the physical description of the suspect from another bank robbery last week. https://t.co/PdmR2BuIC5
— WLOS (@WLOS_13) December 17, 2020
Try using robbery!
Is robbery used correctly in the following sentence?
The movie is about a bank robbery that goes terribly wrong.
How to use robbery in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for robbery
Other Idioms and Phrases with robbery
see daylight robbery; highway robbery.