Okuzeka
Criminal Law & Justice vocabulary · Crimes & Offences

Robbery

Meaning in criminal law & justice, with examples

/ˈrɒbəri/nounCore term

In criminal law & justice, robbery means: The crime of stealing from a person or place by using force or the threat of force.

In Turkish: yağma, soygun, gasp

How it is used

Common in police reports and news: 'armed robbery', 'bank robbery', 'street robbery'. The verb is 'rob' and the person is a 'robber'. The use or threat of violence is what makes it more serious than simple theft.

Example sentences

  1. Two men have been charged with armed robbery at a petrol station.

  2. The robbery took less than two minutes.

  3. He was robbed of his phone on the way home.

Common collocations

  • armed robbery
  • bank robbery
  • street robbery
  • commit a robbery
  • robbery suspect
  • theftThe crime of taking someone else's property without permission and with the intention of keeping it.
  • burglaryThe crime of entering a building without permission in order to steal or commit another crime inside.
  • assaultThe crime of attacking someone physically or, in strict legal use, making someone fear that they are about to be attacked.
  • aggravating factorA fact about a crime that makes it more serious and can lead to a longer or heavier sentence, such as using a weapon or targeting a vulnerable victim.

More terms: Crimes & Offences

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.