Kleptomania - strong urge to steal

Kleptomania is a mental health disorder that compels sufferers to steal things with no regard for need or profit.

To remember the definition of the word kleptomania, use the following mnemonic:

I kept a maniac (kleptomania) in a cage - if I let them out, they would steal everything in sight.

Example of kleptomania in a sentence

Part of the treatment for kleptomania is to make the subject take back every item they have stolen, apologise, and promise not to do it again.

He suspected he was suffering from kleptomania when he counted the dozens of things he'd stolen but didn't actually want or need.

Only a very small percentage of shoplifters are kleptomaniacs - the others are simply thieves.