Definition

1. Noun:
   • The act of stealing goods, typically during a violent disturbance or war: "Looting" refers to the crime of taking property from a place by force, often when law and order have broken down, such as during a riot, natural disaster, or in a war zone.

Usage

• The word "looting" is used to describe the specific, often chaotic, act of theft that occurs when social controls fail. It carries a strong connotation of lawlessness and opportunism.
• It is commonly used in news reports and historical accounts describing civil unrest or conflict.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The hurricane was followed by widespread looting of abandoned stores.
  • Soldiers were ordered to prevent the looting of the captured city.
  • The police arrested several people for looting after the protest turned violent.

Advanced Usage

• "To go looting": to engage in the act of looting.
  • Desperate people went looting for food and supplies after the earthquake.
• The term can be used attributively (like an adjective) before another noun.
  • The mayor imposed a curfew to stop the looting spree.

Variants and Related Words

• Loot (verb): to steal goods during a riot or war.
  • Mobs broke into shops and began to loot them.
• Loot (noun): goods stolen during looting.
  • The thieves divided up the loot.
• Looter (noun): a person who takes part in looting.
  • Looters were seen carrying electronics from the smashed storefront.

Synonyms

• Plundering: stealing goods, especially during a war (a very close synonym).
• Pillaging: looting, especially in a violent and destructive way.
• Sacking: looting a captured city or town.
• Ransacking: searching a place thoroughly and disorderly, often stealing things.

Antonyms

• Protecting: keeping safe from harm or theft.
• Safeguarding: protecting from harm or theft.
• Policing: maintaining law and order to prevent crime.

Related Phrases

• While "looting" itself is not typically part of phrasal verbs, the related verb "loot" can be used with prepositions.
  • They looted the warehouse of its contents.

Noun

1. plundering during riots or in wartime