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robbery
[ rob-uh-ree ]
noun
- the act, the practice, or an instance of robbing.
Synonyms: , , ,
- Law. the felonious taking of someone's property from their person or in their immediate presence, against their will, by violence or intimidation.
robbery
/ ˈɒəɪ /
noun
- criminal law the stealing of property from a person by using or threatening to use force
- the act or an instance of robbing
Other Word Forms
- t·Dzb· adjective
Word History and Origins
Idioms and Phrases
see daylight robbery ; highway robbery .Compare Meanings
How does robbery compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Louis Ahearne told jurors he believed he was there to commit a burglary or robbery of a drug dealer's house.
It estimated that there were 9.6 million incidents of what is described as "headline crime" in 2024 - which includes theft, robbery, criminal damage, fraud, computer misuse, and violence with or without injury.
The singer has been open about his arrests for drug crimes and other offenses, including a conviction for aggravated robbery at 16 where he was charged as an adult.
Eugene “Big U” Henley, an accused Crips leader, will remain behind bars while he faces charges of fraud, robbery, extortion and running a racketeering conspiracy, a federal judge in Los Angeles ruled Tuesday.
It is understood their most common offences were the production of drugs, theft and robbery, and acts of violent assault.
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More About Robbery
doesrobbery 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 doesrobbery 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!
Did you know ... ?
How isrobbery used in real life?
You’re most likely to encounter the word robbery in news reports.
Help the 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 .
— FBI (@FBI)
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.
— Mansfield Police MA (@MansfieldMAPD)
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.
— WLOS (@WLOS_13)
Try usingrobbery!
Is robbery used correctly in the following sentence?
The movie is about a bank robbery that goes terribly wrong.
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.
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