Carjackings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The unlawful act of forcibly taking a vehicle from its owner or driver
2. An incident involving the theft of an automobile through intimidation, threat, or physical violence
3. A criminal event where an individual is robbed of their car, often while still inside it

Etymology: "Carjackings" is the plural of "carjacking," and the plural adds nothing new to the history. The noun is a blend of "car" and "hijacking," so it fuses the older word for seizing a vehicle with a violent edge into one term. "Hijacking" had already been used for stopping and taking over vehicles, and "carjacking" applied that pattern to the automobile, describing a theft carried out by force or threat against the driver rather than by stealth. The blend makes the sense clear at a glance: a car is taken the way a plane or truck once was, by someone holding the driver at gunpoint or by violence.

Synonyms: auto theft, vehicle hijacking, robbery, theft, stealing

Antonyms: safety, security, protection, guarding, defense