arson

[ahr-suhn]

noun

1. Law.,  the malicious burning of another's house or property, or in some statutes, the burning of one's own house or property, as to collect insurance.

arson

/ ˈɑːsən /

noun

1. criminal law the act of intentionally or recklessly setting fire to another's property or to one's own property for some improper reason

Other Word Forms

• arsonous adjective
• arsonist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of arson¹

First recorded in 1670–80; from Anglo-French, Old French, from Late Latin ārsiōn-, stem of ārsiō “a burn,” from ārs(us) “burned” (past participle of Latin ārd(ere) “to burn”; ardent ) + -iō -ion

Word History and Origins

Origin of arson¹

C17: from Old French, from Medieval Latin ārsiō, from Latin ārdēre to burn; see _ardent

Example Sentences

Police have said they are treating the arson attack as a racially-motivated hate crime.

From BBC

Intelligence services linked Iran to an arson attack on a café in Sydney in October last year, and another on a synagogue in Melbourne in December, Albanese told a press conference.

From BBC

Police are treating the arson attack as a racially-motivated hate crime.

From BBC

Investigators determined that the cause of the blaze was arson and that the front and rear doors of the restaurant were open.

From Los Angeles Times

A teenage boy and a man have been arrested after a suspected arson attack at an east London restaurant left at least five people injured.

From BBC

Related Words

• torching www.thesaurus.com