noun
Uncommon
arson
AH-suhn
Arson (noun) means the crime of deliberately setting fire to property. Example: “Investigators ruled the warehouse blaze an act of arson.”
noun
1
The crime of deliberately setting fire to property.
"carry out an arson attack"
"Arson, like we thought. three punks doused a car, lit it, and took off."
— Paul Chadwick, Concrete: Killer Smile (2006)
"Investigators ruled the warehouse blaze an act of arson."
How to use arson
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDeliberately starting a fire to cause damage — a criminal offence.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
charged with arson
suspected arson
commit arson
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Word forms
- Plural
- arsons
- Third person singular
- arsons
- Past tense
- arsoned
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Investigators ruled the warehouse blaze an act of _____.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman arson, from Latin ardere, "to burn" — the same root gives us "ardent."
Synonyms
View more →
incendiarism
fire-raising
Related words
Rhymes for arson
See all rhymes for arson →Frequently asked questions
What does “arson” mean?
The word “arson” means the crime of deliberately setting fire to property. In plain terms, deliberately starting a fire to cause damage — a criminal offence.
How do you pronounce “arson”?
“Arson” is pronounced AH-suhn (/ˈɑɹsən/ in IPA).
How do you use “arson” in a sentence?
Here is “arson” used in a sentence: “Investigators ruled the warehouse blaze an act of arson.”
What part of speech is “arson”?
“Arson” is a noun.
Where does the word “arson” come from?
The word “arson” comes from Latin. From Anglo-Norman arson, from Latin ardere, "to burn" — the same root gives us "ardent.".
Is “arson” a common word?
“Arson” is an uncommon word in modern English.
