loot

1 of 2

noun

1
: goods usually of considerable value taken in war : spoils
The soldiers helped themselves to any loot that they could find.
2
: something held to resemble goods of value seized in war: such as
a
: something appropriated illegally often by force or violence
the thieves' loot
b
: illicit gains by public officials
c
: money
would not … spend all that loot on herLangston Hughes
3
: the action of looting
general loot of church landHilaire Belloc

loot

2 of 2

verb

looted; looting; loots

transitive verb

1
a
: to plunder or sack in war
b
: to rob especially on a large scale and usually by violence or corruption
2
: to seize and carry away by force especially in war

intransitive verb

: to engage in robbing or plundering especially in war
looter noun
Choose the Right Synonym for loot

spoil, plunder, booty, prize, loot mean something taken from another by force or craft.

spoil, more commonly spoils, applies to what belongs by right or custom to the victor in war or political contest.

the spoils of political victory

plunder applies to what is taken not only in war but in robbery, banditry, grafting, or swindling.

a bootlegger's plunder

booty implies plunder to be shared among confederates.

thieves dividing up their booty

prize applies to spoils captured on the high seas or territorial waters of the enemy.

the wartime right of seizing prizes at sea

loot applies especially to what is taken from victims of a catastrophe.

picked through the ruins for loot

Examples of loot in a Sentence

Noun After raiding the town, the soldiers helped themselves to any loot that they could find. The thieves got a lot of loot in the robbery. He made a lot of loot selling cars. Verb The soldiers were looting every house that they came to. Soldiers swept through the territory, looting, burning, and killing.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
These crimes sometimes see long caravans of late-model cars and pickups descend suddenly on stores and malls and depart with the loot almost as quickly. Thomas Elias, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 Supplementing the artistry, Disney has continued to spend the loot keeping the show’s look as crisp and buoyant as always, with the scenic, lighting and costuming designs still impactful over the years. Christopher Smith, Orange County Register, 2 Feb. 2024 The woman, Monique Clarke, used $150,000 of the loot to buy a new Mercedes, prosecutors say in court documents. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2024 Now, with his new movie, Drive-Away Dolls, Ethan has made a gonzo comedy about dopes with guns chasing cheerful fools around dingy American motels in pursuit of a meaningless bag of loot. David Sims, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2024 Gamers can also take advantage of free video games and in-game loot with Twitch Prime, while bibliophiles love Prime Reading, which gets you access to thousands of free books, magazines, comics, audiobooks and more. Tim Chan, Variety, 3 Jan. 2024 The Roman chronicler Livy recounts a surprising moment in 406 bc when the Senate, after years of ignoring complaints that the aristocrats were keeping all land and loot, announced a concession: from then on, the troops would be paid on a regular basis. Christopher Tayler, Harper's Magazine, 18 Dec. 2023 Clue 11 Beneath bluff selected, until now’s been neglected As the location for the hunter’s loot Take time to walk the paths, keep an eye on tufts of grass For a treasure that’s bound to produce fruit. Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 27 Jan. 2024 Here is the complete list of loot included in the Globes’ extravagant tote. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Dec. 2023
Verb
As protesters across the Parisian suburbs, known as banlieues, looted stores and set fire to cars, schools, town halls and other state property, leading to thousands of arrests, Mélenchon took to Twitter to call for justice. Elisabeth Zerofsky, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024 In an initial account, Israel said Gaza residents surrounded the aid trucks and looted the supplies. Jeremy Diamond, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 About 10,000 objects were reportedly looted from the Kherson Regional Art Museum alone. Howard N. Spiegler, Fortune Europe, 23 Feb. 2024 The doc tells the story of African art that was looted in the 19th century from the kingdom of Dahomey, following 26 artifacts that were taken back to Benin from France after French president Macron promised restitution in 2017. Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Feb. 2024 California Ruben’s Bakery survived pandemic and riot only to be ransacked during a street takeover Jan. 5, 2024 Three weeks after Ruben’s Bakery & Mexican Food was looted, four people were shot — none fatally — at a takeover at Alondra Boulevard and Central Avenue. Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2024 Television footage showed thousands of people in the streets of the capital, Port Moresby, many of them carrying what appeared to be looted merchandise as black smoke billowed over the city. Reuters, NBC News, 12 Jan. 2024 In cities around the country protesters set fire to government buildings, blocked roads with overturned vehicles and flaming barricades, looted buildings and attempted to stage a sit-in in front of the prime minister’s office. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 8 Feb. 2024 The British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum also recently announced plans to return gold and silver objects that British troops looted from the Asante kingdom in the 19th century. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'loot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Hindi & Urdu lūṭ; akin to Sanskrit luṇṭati he plunders

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1845, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of loot was circa 1788

Dictionary Entries Near loot

Cite this Entry

“Loot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loot. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

loot

1 of 2 noun
: something stolen or taken by force

loot

2 of 2 verb
looter noun

Legal Definition

loot

transitive verb
1
: to rob especially during or following a catastrophe (as war, riot, or natural disaster)
2
: to rob especially on a large scale and usually by violence or corruption

intransitive verb

: to engage in robbing especially after a catastrophe
looter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on loot

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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