Legal Definitions - pillage

Pillage means to forcefully take someone else's property, especially during a war. It refers to the act of stealing or looting during a wartime invasion of a city or territory. The property that is taken is also called booty or plunder.

• During the war, the enemy soldiers pillaged the town and took everything valuable they could find.
• The Vikings were notorious for their pillaging of coastal towns and villages.
• After the earthquake, there was widespread pillaging of abandoned homes and businesses.

These examples illustrate how pillage refers to the act of forcefully taking someone else's property, often during a time of conflict or chaos. The first example shows how enemy soldiers may pillage a town during a war, taking anything valuable they can find. The second example refers to the historical practice of Viking raiders pillaging coastal towns and villages. The third example shows how pillaging can occur during a natural disaster, when people take advantage of the chaos to steal from abandoned buildings.