Arsonists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who maliciously ignite flames to destroy property for harmful purposes or criminal gain
2. Those who engage in the intentional act of fire-setting, often aiming to cause destruction or financial profit
3. People who intentionally start fires in buildings or other property for unlawful reasons

Etymology: "Arsonists" is the plural of "arsonist," so the story belongs to the base word "arson," which comes from Latin "ardere," meaning "to burn," through Anglo-Norman and Old French forms of the same root. Arson entered English as a legal term for the deliberate burning of property, and the "-ist" suffix, from Greek "-istēs," marks a person who practises or is associated with an activity. An arsonist is therefore someone who engages in arson, with the "-ist" ending turning the crime into a label for the person who commits it. The base "arson" was used in English law before "arsonist" appeared. Because arson was a serious crime in both common law and statute, the word's sense stayed narrow and specific: the malicious setting of fire to another's property. Only later did the person-noun form come into general use to name those who commit it.