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Pillage vs Plunder - What's the difference?

pillage | plunder |

As verbs the difference between pillage and plunder

is that pillage is to loot or plunder by force, especially in time of war while plunder is to pillage, take or destroy all the goods of, by force (as in war); to raid, sack.

As nouns the difference between pillage and plunder

is that pillage is the spoils of war while plunder is an instance of plundering.

pillage

English

Verb

(pillag)
  • (ambitransitive) To loot or plunder by force, especially in time of war.
  • * 1911 , ,
    • Archibald V. (1361-1397) was Count of Perigord. He was nominally under the lilies [France], but he pillaged indiscriminately in his county.

    Noun

    (-)
  • The spoils of war.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Which pillage they with merry march bring home.
  • The act of pillaging.

    • Noun

    (m)
  • looting

    • Related terms

    * ----

    plunder

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To pillage, take or destroy all the goods of, by force (as in war); to raid, sack.
    • ''The mercenaries plundered the small town.
    The shopkeeper was plundered of his possessions by the burglar.
  • To take (goods) by pillage.
    • The mercenaries plundered all the goods they found.
  • To take by force or wrongfully; to commit robbery or looting, to raid.
    • ''"Now to plunder , mateys!" screamed a buccaneer, to cries of "Arrgh!" and "Aye!" all around.
  • To make extensive (over)use of, as if by plundering; to use or use up wrongfully.
    • ''The miners plundered the jungle for its diamonds till it became a muddy waste.
  • * 2014 , , " Southampton hammer eight past hapless Sunderland in barmy encounter", The Guardian , 18 October 2014:
    • The Serb teed up Steve Davis, who crossed low for Graziano Pellè to plunder his fifth league goal of the campaign.

    Derived terms

    * plunderable * plunderage * plunderer * plunderous

    Noun

    (-)
  • An instance of plundering
  • The loot attained by plundering
    • ''The Hessian kept his choicest plunder in a sack that never left his person, for fear that his comrades would steal it.
  • (slang, dated) baggage; luggage