robbery

play

noun rob·bery \ ˈrä-b(ə-)rē \

Definition of robbery

plural robberies

:the act or practice of robbing; specifically :larceny from the person or presence of another by violence or threat

See robbery defined for English-language learners

See robbery defined for kids

Examples of robbery in a Sentence

a series of armed robberies
They foiled a bank robbery.
He is charged with attempted robbery.
She was arrested for robbery.

Recent Examples of robbery from the Web

Strenger had previously been convicted in 2012 of a felony charge of attempted aggravated robbery and was sentenced to 30 months of probation and community service, court records show.

— jeremy gorner, chicagotribune.com, "Parolee charged with attempted murder in shooting at Red Line station in Loop," 30 Aug. 2017
A Jackson County jury in March found Verge guilty on two counts of second-degree murder, four counts of armed criminal action and single counts of robbery and assault.

— toriano porter, kansascity, "Brother of convicted murderer accused of lying on witness stand during sibling’s trial," 26 Aug. 2017
Elliott Scott Grizzle, 46, was convicted in March of first-degree murder, residential burglary and two counts of robbery in connection with the May 11, 2016 incident.

— dana littlefield, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Man convicted in San Carlos home-invasion robbery, murder sentenced to prison," 25 Aug. 2017
Council, 32, stole more than $15,000 in the Conway robbery.

— jeffrey collins, The Seattle Times, "FBI agent says bank robbery suspect confessed he would kill," 24 Aug. 2017
Then several players were arrested for robberies, landing three athletes in prison.

— sara aridi, New York Times, "What’s on TV Thursday: ‘Elián’ and ‘Asian Provocateur’," 24 Aug. 2017
Prosecutors said Robinson and Young were in on the robbery together, parking their car in a fire lane for a quick getaway from Macy’s.

— david ovalle, miamiherald, "Stolen purses from Macy’s, a police car chase and a dead grandmother. Who is to blame?," 24 Aug. 2017
The biggest drop was in robberies (one this year versus eight last year).

— elizabeth marie himchak, Rancho Bernardo, "Rancho Bernardo crime trends show improvement," 17 Aug. 2017
Cobbs was one of five people believed involved in the 6 p.m. Tuesday armed robbery at The Cellular Connection on Ridge Road in Munster, a Verizon dealership, according to information in federal court records.

— carrie napoleon, Post-Tribune, "Teen shot by Gary cop following Munster armed robbery dies," 5 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'robbery.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of robbery

13th century

robbery Synonyms

Synonyms

larceny, theft, stealing, thievery

ROBBERY Defined for English Language Learners

robbery

play

noun

Definition of robbery for English Language Learners

: the crime of stealing money or property : the crime of robbing a person or place

ROBBERY Defined for Kids

robbery

play

noun rob·bery \ ˈrä-bə-rē , ˈräb-rē \

Definition of robbery for Students

plural robberies

:the act or practice of taking something unlawfully

Law Dictionary

robbery

noun rob·bery

legal Definition of robbery

plural robberies

:the unlawful taking away of personal property from a person by violence or by threat of violence that causes fear :larceny from the person or immediate presence of another by violence or threat of violence and with intent to steal

— aggravated robbery

:robbery committed with aggravating factors (as use of a weapon, infliction of bodily injury, or use of an accomplice)

— armed robbery

:robbery committed by a person armed with a dangerous or deadly weapon

— simple robbery

:robbery that does not involve any aggravating factors