arsonists
|ar-son-ists|
🇺🇸
/ˈɑɹsənɪsts/
🇬🇧
/ˈɑːsənɪsts/
(arsonist)
fire setter
Etymology
'arsonist' originates from English, formed from the noun 'arson' + the suffix '-ist' (agent). 'arson' originates from Old French 'arsion', from Vulgar Latin '*arsio', from Latin 'ardēre' meaning 'to burn'.
'arson' changed from Middle English 'arsoun' and Old French 'arsion', evolving into the modern English word 'arson'; 'arsonist' was later formed from 'arson' + '-ist'.
Initially, 'arson' meant 'the act of burning', but over time it came to denote the criminal act of deliberately setting fire; 'arsonist' refers to a person who commits that crime.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who deliberately sets fire to property; someone who commits arson.
Arsonists were responsible for several fires in the warehouse district last year.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/21 09:10