robbery
Americannoun
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criminal law the stealing of property from a person by using or threatening to use force
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the act or an instance of robbing
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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:
Explanation
A person who steals money from a convenience store by claiming to have a gun under his shirt is guilty of robbery, or using a violent threat to take something that doesn't belong to him. Whether a criminal wields a weapon or just threatens to hurt someone while stealing from that person, he is committing robbery. Robbery is different from burglary — breaking into a house or building to steal — because it involves a threat of danger to a person. Carjackings, stick-ups, and muggings are all different kinds of robbery.
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.
See Examples For:
Mr. Belgal had two prior arrests in the city, including one for robbery, according to the New York Police Department.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Metzker explained that after the robbery, he now carries one phone that he takes out on the street, and one that he keeps at home with all his banking applications on it.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
Egyptian authorities argued criminal gangsters were to blame for Regeni's murder and suggested various other explanations for his death, including a car accident, failed drug deal, or botched robbery.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
A man in Wichita Falls, Texas, just across the state line, said that he’d sold a Kawasaki Ninja sport bike to Oxford and Walters after the robbery; they’d paid $3,200 in $100 bills.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
At no time did the State establish any conversation between Steve and anyone else about a robbery.
From "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers
The heist is the latest in a string of such robberies in France including the daylight theft last year of crown jewellery valued at around $100 million from the Louvre in Paris.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
Several robberies targeting Pokémon cards have occurred across several states in 2026 alone.
From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026
In Westminster, where between 69% and 72% of thefts from the person and personal robberies each week involve phones, there has been a reduction of 45.8% so far this year.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
And the follow-home robberies and street takeovers that captured the public’s attention in recent years have largely subsided.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2026
Nobody wanted to know anything at all about the robberies.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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