Kleptomaniac
/ˌklɛp.təˈmeɪ.ni.æk/noun
A person with a recurrent impulse to steal, especially without need or profit.
Did you know?The word was coined in the 19th century from Greek roots, and its second half is the same **mania** that gave English words for frenzied obsession, rage, and prophetic madness.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*klep-
“to steal, hide, or take secretly”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κλέπτειν (kléptein)
“to steal”
Ancient Greek
Greek
κλέπτης (kléptēs)
“a thief”
19th Century
English
kleptomania
“a compulsive urge to steal”
19th Century
English
kleptomaniac
“a person afflicted with kleptomania”
Modern English
English
kleptomaniac
“a person with a recurrent impulse to steal, especially without need or profit”
Explore more surprising origins