Word
pillage
Phoneticspil·lage, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈpɪɫɪdʒ/
UK/pˈɪlɪdʒ/
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. the act of stealing or destroying things from a place, especially during a war or a riot. It usually involves taking goods by force.
n. the act of plundering or looting a place, typically during a military invasion or civil unrest. Often implies the systematic seizure of property by force.
Examples
“The city suffered from years of pillage and destruction.”
“Historians documented the pillage of the royal treasury during the revolution, noting that many priceless artifacts were lost forever.”
“The treaty was intended to prevent the pillage of civilian assets, yet the subsequent occupation saw widespread looting of local businesses and homes.”
Examples
simple
“The city suffered from years of pillage and destruction.”
contextual
“Historians documented the pillage of the royal treasury during the revolution, noting that many priceless artifacts were lost forever.”
complex
“The treaty was intended to prevent the pillage of civilian assets, yet the subsequent occupation saw widespread looting of local businesses and homes.”
Real-World Examples
“In exchange, Greece is slated to receive 48 objects that Bulgarian troops pillaged from churches and monasteries in Greece during World War I.” “I hate that much of AI’s LLMs were built on an illegal pillage of human labour.” Etymology
From Old French pillage, from piller (“plunder”), from an unattested meaning of Late Latin piliō, probably a figurative use of Latin pilō (“I remove (hair)”), from pilus (“hair”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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