pilfer

verb

pil·​fer ˈpil-fər 

pilfered; pilfering ˈpil-f(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

: steal

especially : to steal stealthily in small amounts and often again and again

transitive verb

: steal

especially : to steal in small quantities

pilferable

ˈpil-f(ə-)rə-bəl 

adjective

pilferage

ˈpil-f(ə-)rij 

noun

pilferer

ˈpil-fər-ər 

noun

pilferproof

ˈpil-fər-ˌprüf 

adjective

Did you know?

The Various Uses of Pilfer

Pilfer is a synonym of steal, but it typically implies a particular kind of stealing. What is pilfered is usually stolen stealthily—furtively, so that no one will notice—in small amounts and often again and again. One might, for example, pilfer cookies from a cookie jar until a plentiful supply has dwindled to nothing. The word is sometimes used for that kind of stealing: the stealthy and gradual stealing of something that isn't worth much anyway:

Money was tight enough that Dickey's family used silverware pilfered from the local Western Sizzlin….
— L. Jon Wertheim, Sports Illustrated 2 Apr. 2012

But it is also used when the stolen things are valuable indeed, and the act of pilfering a serious criminal act:

For generations, scavengers have prowled this city with impunity, pouncing on abandoned properties and light poles to pilfer steel, copper and other metals they could trade for cash at scrapyards. The practice left tens of thousands of buildings so damaged that they could not be restored, turning places like the North End into grim cityscapes that appeared to have been ravaged by a tornado.
— John Eligon, The New York Times, 15 Mar. 2015

Pilfer may remind one of a similar also-serious word: pillage. The two words share more than a first syllable; pilfer comes from an old word meaning "booty" (as in, things that are stolen or taken by force, especially during a war) and pillage means "to take things from a place by force especially during a war." But despite their similarities, the words in modern use are very different. Pilfer has long since shed the connotations of violence in its etymological past; what's pilfered is not taken violently. Pillage, on the other hand, remains firmly rooted in violence and especially war; it is not a term you apply when someone's been sneaking cookies from a cookie jar.

Synonyms

• appropriate
• boost [slang]
• filch
• heist
• hook
• lift
• misappropriate
• nick [British slang]
• nip
• pinch
• pocket
• purloin
• rip off
• snitch
• steal
• swipe
• thieve

Choose the Right Synonym for pilfer

steal, pilfer, filch, purloin mean to take from another without right or without detection.

steal may apply to any surreptitious taking of something and differs from the other terms by commonly applying to intangibles as well as material things.

steal jewels

stole a look at the gifts

pilfer implies stealing repeatedly in small amounts.

pilfered from his employer

filch adds a suggestion of snatching quickly and surreptitiously.

filched an apple from the tray

purloin stresses removing or carrying off for one's own use or purposes.

printed a purloined document

Examples of pilfer in a Sentence

She pilfered stamps and paper from work.

what sort of person would pilfer lunches from the office refrigerator?

Recent Examples on the Web

Entire families from Haiti, Venezuela and other places in upheaval live exposed to the elements, cooking over open fires, bathing in water pilfered from fountains and finding ways to relieve themselves without public restrooms. —Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2024

Depending on the exact data that has been pilfered, those patients may be at risk for identity theft, Chaudhry said. —Darius Tahir, CBS News, 29 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French pelfrer, from pelfre booty

First Known Use

circa 1548, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

pilfer

verb

pil·​fer ˈpil-fər 

pilfered; pilfering -f(ə-)riŋ 

: to steal articles of small value or in small amounts

pilferage

-f(ə-)rij 

noun

pilferer

-fər-ər 

noun

Legal Definition

pilfer

intransitive verb

pil·​fer ˈpil-fər 

: to steal especially in small amounts and often again and again

accused of pilfering from passenger luggage

transitive verb

: to steal or steal from especially in small quantities

found pilfering goods from a store he was guarding

pilferage

ˈpil-fə-rij 

noun