Law. the malicious burning of another's house or property, or in some statutes, the burning of one's own house or property, as to collect insurance.
Origin of arson
1670–80; <Anglo-French, Old French <Late Latin ārsiōn- (stem of ārsiō) a burning, equivalent to ārs- (Latin ārd(ere) to burn (cf. ardent) + -t(us) past participle suffix) + -iōn--ion
OTHER WORDS FROM arson
ar·son·ous,adjective
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH arson
arsenous, arsonous
Words nearby arson
arsino group, arsis, ars longa, vita brevis, ARSM, Ars Nova, arson, arsonist, arsphenamine, ars poetica, arsy, arsy-varsy
Twenty people in East County are facing a total of 75 felony and misdemeanor charges, most of them tied to the La Mesa protests beginning May 30, which erupted in violence, looting and arson.
No Unlawful Assembly Charges So Far Following Dozens of Arrests|Brittany Cruz-Fejeran and Ashly McGlone|October 12, 2020|Voice of San Diego
The demonstrations have also devolved in arson, looting, and property destruction, as well as violence that has left multiple people dead.
Kenosha’s unusual economic evolution made it the perfect political flashpoint|reymashayekhi|September 5, 2020|Fortune
In one instance, police suspected that single-family zoning advocates committed arson against a Mission Hills property owner who tried to build a business in a district they wanted to restrict for homes only.
Single-Family Zoning’s Century of Supremacy in San Diego|Andrew Keatts|August 26, 2020|Voice of San Diego
In the late 1940s, he writes, there was “one racially motivated bombing or arson” every twenty days.
How We Built the Ghettos|Jamelle Bouie|March 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Zeffirelli's film was awful and creepy and over the top in all the right ways: arson, chases, death, prison, Tom Cruise.
What the New ‘Endless Love’s Fireplace Sex Scene Is Missing|Sujay Kumar|February 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It's a good day to remember Rodney Hulin, a physically slight teenager who was serving time for arson in a Texas prison.