robbery

[rob-uh-ree]

noun

plural

robberies 

1. the act, the practice, or an instance of robbing.

   Synonyms: burglary, theft, pillage, plunder

2. Law.,  the felonious taking of someone's property from their person or in their immediate presence, against their will, by violence or intimidation.

robbery

/ ˈrɒbərɪ /

noun

1. criminal law the stealing of property from a person by using or threatening to use force

2. the act or an instance of robbing

Other Word Forms

• antirobbery adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of robbery¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English robberie from Old French. See rob, -ery

Idioms and Phrases

see daylight robbery; highway robbery.

Example Sentences

He said he was confident police would solve the case soon, as they had with other recent high-profile bank robberies in Karnataka.

Read more on BBC

County for attempted robbery, adding that those convicted of the offense are sentenced to prison terms that are 36% longer than white suspects who faced the same charges.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Thames Valley Police said a "complex" investigation followed, with officers conducting warrants and arresting four men on suspicion of offences including robbery and kidnap.

Read more on BBC

In 2008, Simpson was found guilty of kidnapping, armed robbery and other charges stemming from his attempt to recover memorabilia he claimed was stolen from him.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The country is still one of the safest in Latin America but recent shootouts in broad daylight and violent robberies, long a reality in Mexico, Brazil and other countries, have shocked voters.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• break in 
• burglary 
• embezzlement 
• felony 
• heist 
• holdup 
• larceny 
• looting www.thesaurus.com
• mugging 
• theft 
• wrongdoing 

When To Use

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.