noun
brigandage
BRIG-un-dij/ˈbrɪɡəndɪdʒ/
Robbery or lawless violence by bandits.
The outlaws' brigandage leaves the traveler threatened and robbed on the rural track.
Etymology
Brigand once denoted a lightly armed soldier; its robber sense reflects the overlap between mercenary troops and organized plunderers. Brigandage names their practice of robbery and violence.
In context
a country where for centuries monarchy based itself on brigandage that became like a historical agent
More examples
- The authorities struggled to suppress brigandage.
- Trade declined as brigandage spread through the countryside.
- The historian studies a period of widespread brigandage.
Forms
brigandage
Similar words
- robbery
- Robbery is the broader crime; brigandage suggests organized or recurring bandit activity.