The practice or system of robbery and violence carried out by brigands or bandits, especially organized groups operating in wild or mountainous regions.
From brigand (Italian brigante, from brigata 'troop') plus -ism suffix. Brigand originally referred to light-armed foot soldiers in medieval times before the meaning shifted to outlaws and robbers during the transition to early modern period.
The word reveals a fascinating shift from military to criminal: medieval soldiers called 'brigands' were light-armed, mobile troops, but when armies became more organized and professional, these uncontrolled warrior groups became labeled as criminals—the same word, but now it meant 'bandit' instead of 'soldier.'
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