theft

noun

ˈtheft 

1

a

: the act of stealing

specifically : the felonious taking and removing of personal property with intent to deprive the rightful owner of it

b

: an unlawful taking (as by embezzlement or burglary) of property

2

: a stolen base in baseball

3

obsolete : something stolen

Synonyms

• larceny
• robbery
• stealing
• thievery

Examples of theft in a Sentence

The theft of the jewelry and other valuables was immediately reported to the police.

He was found guilty of theft.

Recent Examples on the Web

Cards are increasingly becoming a target of theft, IGN reports. —Kc Baker, People.com, 1 Jan. 2025

The legislation increases penalties for repeat offenders, creates additional ways to prosecute crimes as felonies and allows the police to arrest people suspected of retail theft with probable cause, even if officers did not witness the crime. —Kate Selig, New York Times, 1 Jan. 2025

Cons: Your money won’t earn any interest in an envelope and it’s not protected from theft or other loss. —Ryley Amond, CNBC, 31 Dec. 2024

Property crime plummets In addition to violent crime falling, property crime is also poised to finish the year down 8.6% nationwide, mostly due to a 21.4% decrease in motor vehicle theft, Asher said. —Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 31 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English thiefthe, from Old English thīefth; akin to Old English thēof thief

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing theft

• anti-theft
• grand theft
• identity theft
• petit theft
• petty theft

Kids Definition

theft

noun

ˈtheft 

: the act of stealing

Legal Definition

theft

noun

: larceny

broadly : a criminal taking of the property or services of another without consent

Note: Theft commonly encompasses by statute a variety of forms of stealing formerly treated as distinct crimes.

— grand theft

: theft of property or services whose value exceeds a specified amount or of a specified kind of property (as an automobile)

Note: Grand theft is a felony.

— identity theft

: the unauthorized use of another's means of identification (as name or social security number) for the purpose of committing theft or another crime

— petty theft

: theft of property or services whose value is below a specified amount

called also petit theft

Note: Petty theft is a misdemeanor but may be aggravated by prior convictions.

Etymology

Old English thiefth