kleptomania

kleptomania definition - medical

klep·to·ma·ni·a (klĕpˌtə-māˈnē-ə, -mānˈyə)

noun
An obsessive impulse to steal regardless of economic need, usually arising from an unconscious symbolic value associated with the stolen item.

Related Forms:

  • klepˌto·maˈni·acˌ (-nē-ăkˌ) adjective

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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