plunder

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈplʌndər/ UK /ˈplʌndə/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to steal goods, typically by force in time of war or unrest

The invading soldiers began to plunder the city's temples and homes.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to steal goods, typically... pillage loot ransack despoil ravage sack rob spoil

Word family

Forms plundererplunderers

Derived forms plundererplundering

Etymology

From German plündern ('to plunder'), originally 'to take away household goods', from Middle High German plunder ('household effects, lumber'). Brought into English during the Thirty Years' War.

plundern German

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# plunder

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈplʌndər/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈplʌndə/

## Meanings
1. to steal goods, typically by force in time of war or unrest

## Examples
- The invading soldiers began to plunder the city's temples and homes.

## Synonyms
- pillage
- loot
- ransack
- despoil
- ravage
- sack
- rob
- spoil

## Derived Forms
- plunderer
- plundering

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: plundern

## Etymology
From German plündern ('to plunder'), originally 'to take away household goods', from Middle High German plunder ('household effects, lumber'). Brought into English during the Thirty Years' War.

## AI Etymology
Plunder comes from German plündern ('to plunder'), originally 'to take away household goods', from Middle High German plunder ('household effects, lumber'). Brought into English during the Thirty Years' War. The form preserves a compact historical development in which the older wording and the present sense remain closely connected. As a verb and noun, it means "to steal goods, typically by force in time of war or unrest", so the modern sense keeps the older action or relation visible. Relevant historical forms include German plundern. Derivative forms include plunderer, plundering.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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