Arsonistic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. The willful act of setting fire to property is a criminal act that involves both malice and intent to cause destruction
2. The intentional igniting of flames to damage structures is regarded as a severe offense that carries legal penalties
3. Having qualities or characteristics associated with deliberately setting fires to property

Etymology: Arson traces back to Latin "ardere," meaning "to burn," which also gave English "ardent" and "ardor." Latin formed "arsio," a burning, and Anglo-French turned it into "arsoun," which English borrowed as "arson," the legal term for maliciously setting fire to property. The connection to "ardent" is the surprise: a word for a crime and a word for passion share a root. This term is a plain derivation rather than a coinage with a notable history. English added the suffix "-ist," meaning one who practices something, to "arson" to get "arsonist." The adjective adds "-istic," a suffix meaning "of or characterized by," which came into English through Latin and French from Greek "-istikos." Together they yield a word meaning "characteristic of arson."

Synonyms: incendiary, flammable