loot

1 of 2

noun

ˈlüt 

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 her

—Langston Hughes

3

: the action of looting

general loot of church land

—Hilaire 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

Synonyms

Noun

• booty
• pillage
• plunder
• spoil
• swag

Verb

• despoil
• maraud
• pillage
• plunder
• ransack
• sack

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

The idea here is no doubt that smaller activities with worse loot drops cost less, and bigger activities with better loot cost more. —Paul Tassi, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024

Most of the loot was never recovered, according to court records reviewed by Forbes. —Thomas Brewster, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024

Verb

Key Background Fear of unrest and looting in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere lingers after unrest was recorded following the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, including the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, as well as the protests following the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. —Conor Murray, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Some say that, in taking the material, the French looted something intangible: the Beninese people’s chance at seeing themselves in a larger historical context and not just through the gaze of white victimizers. —Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024

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

Kids Definition

loot

1 of 2 noun

ˈlüt 

: something stolen or taken by force

loot

2 of 2 verb

: plunder entry 1, steal

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