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Synonyms

robbery

American  
[rob-uh-ree] / ˈrɒb ə ri /

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 British  
/ 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

"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
robbery Idioms  

  1. see daylight robbery; highway robbery.

Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

  • antirobbery adjective

Etymology

Origin of robbery

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

Compare meaning

How does robbery compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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.

Mr Ward was found not guilty of facilitating the robbery in October 2008.

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

Continuing drops in a range of other reported crimes, such as robbery and theft, point to a public-safety rebound after the upheaval spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

In a recording that surfaced weeks earlier, Kirk was seen responding to a report of a robbery and being approached by a woman outside a WinCo Foods supermarket.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 2026

Burton had previously apologized to Battle’s family in a public letter where he acknowledged that it took him a long time and stamina to admit his role in the robbery.

From Slate • Mar. 6, 2026

Straight from Elaine, straight from her robbery, Lancelot came like an arrow to the heart of love.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

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.