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Looting is the act of stealing, or the taking of goods by force, typically in the midst of a military, political, or other social crisis, such as war,[1] natural disasters (where law and civil enforcement are temporarily ineffective),[2] or rioting.[3] The proceeds of all these activities can be described as booty, loot, plunder, spoils, or pillage.[4][5]
Looting by a victorious army during war has been a common practice throughout recorded history.[6] In the wake of the Napoleonic Wars and particularly after World War II, norms against wartime plunder became widely accepted.[6] In modern armed conflicts, looting is prohibited by international law, and constitutes a war crime.[7][8]
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was invoked but never defined (see the help page).