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 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 In 2022, the Seattle airport saw a total of 71 thefts, whereas 160 car thefts were reported by November 2023. Nicole Lopez, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Mar. 2024 Police logged 223 crimes in the system, an increase that was largely driven by a spike in grand larceny, which are thefts in which the perpetrator doesn’t use force. Ian Duncan, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 After a two-week trial, a jury in Brooklyn found Martin, 36, guilty on all counts of an indictment charging him with murder-for-hire, murder-for-hire conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identify theft and fraudulent use of identification. Minnah Arshad, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 Now, he’s charged with robbery, theft of property, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and criminal mischief. Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024 The case has roiled the L.A. sneaker world, where collectors have been left wondering whether local retailers had knowledge of the thefts. Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024 Officers were called about 3:30 a.m. Feb. 5 to the 6100 block of Sunrise Boulevard after a business reported its front doors were smashed during the retail theft, the Citrus Heights Police Department said in a social media post. Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 23 Feb. 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 19 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!