daylight robbery

/ˌdeɪlaɪt ˈɹɒb(ə)ɹi/

//ˌdeɪlaɪt ˈɹɒb(ə)ɹi// noun

"daylight-robbery" is a 15-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“daylight robbery” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
16
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The practice of cheating or of imposing an exorbitant charge for a product or service; (countable, rare) an instance of this.

Key facts for daylight robbery
PropertyValue
Headworddaylight robbery
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌdeɪlaɪt ˈɹɒb(ə)ɹi/
Letters16
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “daylight robbery” sits in English frequency

daylight robbery falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for daylight robbery is 16 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌdeɪlaɪt ˈɹɒb(ə)ɹi/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for daylight robbery in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From daylight + robbery, originally used literally to refer to robbery occurring in the daytime rather than at night, which was thought to be more audacious or risky. The correct English form is daylight robbery, spelled D-A-Y-L-I-G-H-T- -R-O-B-B-E-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The practice of cheating or of imposing an exorbitant charge for a product or service; (countable, rare) an instance of this.
  2. 2
    Conduct which unfairly deprives an opponent of an advantage or a win; (countable, rare) an instance of this.
  3. 3
    Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see daylight, robbery.

Etymology

From daylight + robbery, originally used literally to refer to robbery occurring in the daytime rather than at night, which was thought to be more audacious or risky.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "daylight robbery"?
"daylight robbery" is spelled D-A-Y-L-I-G-H-T- -R-O-B-B-E-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌdeɪlaɪt ˈɹɒb(ə)ɹi/.
What does "daylight robbery" mean?
As a noun, "daylight robbery" means: The practice of cheating or of imposing an exorbitant charge for a product or service; (countable, rare) an instance of this.
How do you pronounce "daylight robbery"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "daylight robbery" is /ˌdeɪlaɪt ˈɹɒb(ə)ɹi/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "daylight robbery"?
From daylight + robbery, originally used literally to refer to robbery occurring in the daytime rather than at night, which was thought to be more audacious or risky. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “daylight robbery”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is D-A-Y-L-I-G-H-T- -R-O-B-B-E-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌdeɪlaɪt ˈɹɒb(ə)ɹi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list