Kleptomania
/ˌklɛp.təˈmeɪ.ni.ə/noun
A recurrent urge to steal items, especially without need or obvious profit.
Did you know?The word was coined in the 19th century as a psychiatric term, showing how modern medicine borrowed ancient Greek word-magic to name an irresistible compulsion.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
κλέπτειν (kleptein)
“to steal”
Ancient Greek
Greek
μανία (mania)
“madness, frenzy, mania”
Early 19th Century
French
kleptomanie
“a supposed compulsive urge to steal”
1820s
English
kleptomania
“a medicalized term for compulsive stealing”
Modern English
English
kleptomania
“a recurrent urge to steal items, especially without need or obvious profit”