larceny

noun

lar·​ce·​ny ˈlär-sə-nē How to pronounce larceny (audio)
ˈlär-snē
plural larcenies
: the unlawful taking of personal property with intent to deprive the rightful owner of it permanently
was arrested and charged with larceny

Examples of larceny in a Sentence

He was arrested and charged with larceny. He has been accused of several larcenies.
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Court docs show that Avery was charged with felony breaking and entering and larceny. Liza Esquibias, People.com, 18 Oct. 2024 While burglary decreased by 7.6% and larceny — property theft without violence — by 4.4%, motor vehicle theft saw an increase of 12.6%, according to the report. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 23 Sep. 2024 Hinton has a criminal record dating to 1997 that includes convictions for assault, larceny and drug sales, federal authorities said in a search warrant application. CBS News, 24 Sep. 2024 Overall, property crime decreased by 2.4%, burglary decreased by 7.6% and larceny theft decreased by 4.4%. Jack Date, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for larceny 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French larecin theft, from Latin latrocinium robbery, from latron-, latro mercenary soldier, probably from Greek *latrōn, from latron pay

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of larceny was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near larceny

Cite this Entry

“Larceny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/larceny. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

larceny

noun
lar·​ce·​ny ˈlärs-nē How to pronounce larceny (audio)
-ᵊn-ē
plural larcenies
: the unlawful taking of personal property with the intention of depriving the rightful owner of it permanently : theft
larcenous
-nəs
-ᵊn-əs
adjective

Legal Definition

larceny

noun
lar·​ce·​ny ˈlär-sə-nē How to pronounce larceny (audio)
plural larcenies
: the unlawful taking and carrying away of personal property with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it permanently
also : any of several types of theft (as embezzlement or obtaining another's property by false pretenses) that have been traditionally distinguished from larceny

Note: Under the Model Penal Code and in states that follow it, larceny is a type of theft. In states where larceny is currently defined as a separate crime, it may include the crimes that were distinct from it under common law.

grand larceny
: felonious larceny of property having a value greater than an amount fixed by law
also : larceny accompanied by aggravating circumstances (as the use of threats)
larceny by trick
: larceny of property obtained by the use of misrepresentation especially in getting an owner to hand over something in the belief that it is for temporary purposes compare false pretenses
larceny from the person
: larceny of property held by or within the immediate control of its owner
petit larceny \ ˈpe-​tē-​ \
: larceny of property having a market value below an amount fixed by law

called also petty larceny

Note: Petit larceny is a misdemeanor.

Etymology

modification of Anglo-French larcine theft, from Old French larrecin, from Latin latrocinium robbery, from latron-, latro mercenary soldier, brigand

More from Merriam-Webster on larceny

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