theft

noun

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

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 Terry Jon Martin pleaded guilty in Oct. 2023 to theft of a major artwork, admitting to using a hammer to break the museum’s glass door and display case. Tatiana Tenreyro, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2024 March 9 Petty theft, theft by credit card: Between 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024 Deputies were looking into thefts at several retail stores across North County, and that investigation led them to get a search warrant for the couple’s La Casa Drive home in Lake San Marcos, Sgt. Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2024 The number of violent crimes soared 59 percent, from 99 to 157; robberies more than doubled from 54 to 118, and car thefts rose 16 percent, from 116 to 135. Paul Schwartzman, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 But as theft increases and customer complaints rise, retailers are removing them from stores. Chris Morris, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 However, store staff have been telling customers that theft was a reason. Detroit Free Press, 13 Mar. 2024 The trend of Chilean crime groups visiting Southern California for thefts and robberies emerged about five years ago. Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Police data shows that larceny theft, which includes retail theft and car break-ins, is down 37% from this time last year. Veronica Miracle, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'theft.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of theft was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near theft

Cite this Entry

“Theft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theft. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

theft

noun
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on theft

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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