kleptomania
UK[ˌkleptəˈmeɪniə]US[ˌkleptəˈmeɪniə]
n
a mental illness in which a person has a strong desire to steal things.
Morpheme Breakdown
klepto
mania
klepto
theft
mania
madness
Etymology
the word 'kleptomania' is a modern scientific compound, coined in the early 19th century from two ancient greek roots. the first part, 'klepto-', derives from kleptēs, meaning 'thief', which is itself related to the verb kleptein, 'to steal'. the second part, '-mania', originates from mania, signifying 'madness' or 'frenzied obsession'. when combined, these elements literally construct the concept of 'stealing madness'. this term was created within medical and psychological discourse to clinically describe an irresistible impulse to steal, often without economic motive, thereby framing the behavior as a pathological compulsion rather than a simple criminal act.
Analysis
Structure: klepto (theft) + mania (madness)
klepto: from greek kleptēs (thief), functioning as a combining form meaning "theft" or "stealing".
mania: from greek mania (madness, frenzy), functioning as a suffix denoting a specific type of obsession or compulsion.
Examples
the expensive items she took had no use for her, leading a psychiatrist to diagnose her with kleptomania.
shoplifters are not necessarily suffering from kleptomania; the diagnosis requires a recurrent inability to resist the urge.
his kleptomania was a source of great personal shame and legal trouble.