an impulse-control disorder characterized by recurrent inability to resist impulses to steal. A defining feature of the disorder is that there is no immediate need or use for what is stolen. Typically there is little or no planning involved but merely a sudden, acute impulse which is acted on.
A disorder in which the sufferer has the compulsion to steal.
A strong impulse to steal items, even though the items are not needed for personal use or for their monetary value.
Recurrent impulsive stealing motivated by the “thrill of stealing†but not by an external motive such as hunger, poverty, or vengeance, and not resulting from other mental disorders related to stealing such as antisocial personality disorder or mania.
Kleptomania (Greek: κλÎπτειν, kleptein, "to steal", μανία, "mania") is an inability or great difficultly in resisting impulses of stealing.