thief

noun

ˈthēf 

plural thieves ˈthēvz 

: one that steals especially stealthily or secretly

also : one who commits theft or larceny

Synonyms of thief

• robber
• burglar

Examples of thief in a Sentence

A thief took my purse.

a thief has been stealing wallets and valuables from the lockers at the gym

Recent Examples on the Web

The first film, a box office hit, follows an explosive face-off between Los Angeles Police Department detective Lieutenant Vincent Hanna (Pacino) and professional thief Neil McCauley (De Niro). — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 1 Nov. 2026

Just after the illustration of the Devil is a collection of three spells to cure disease and fever and two magic formulas for catching thieves. — Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026

Good news for scatterbrained motorists like me, but great news for car thieves. — Alison J. Stein, HubSpot, 29 Oct. 2026

The man behind the wheel wasn’t a thief, but a Baltimore County Police detective demonstrating how quickly an unattended vehicle can disappear while its driver runs a simple errand. — Jessica Baugh, Baltimore Sun, 29 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English theef, from Old English thēof; akin to Old High German diob thief

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing thief

• sneak thief

Rhymes for thief

• beef
• brief
• chief
• fief
• grief
• leaf
• lief
• reef
• reif
• seif
• sheaf
• belief

Kids Definition

thief

noun

ˈthēf 

plural thieves ˈthēvz 

: one that steals

Legal Definition

thief

noun

plural thieves

: one who commits theft

Etymology

Old English thēof