theft

play

noun \ ˈtheft \

Definition of theft

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

See theft defined for English-language learners

See theft defined for kids

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 of theft from the Web

Thieves could be deterred by locks and also by placing a visible tag on each bike identifying it as federal property and outlining the penalties for its theft or misuse.

— john kelly, Washington Post, "In 1973, a young GSA employee in D.C. had a bright idea: A fleet of loaner bikes," 30 Aug. 2017
Martinez, also with prior arrests, was last booked into the jail in February on theft and evidence tampering charges.

— carol robinson, AL.com, "Inmate used e-cigarette to spark jail fire; 2 charged with arson, conspiracy to commit murder," 29 Aug. 2017
Security cameras at other buildings did not captured the theft.

— kate mccann, Daily Southtown, "Construction equipment stolen at planned hotel site in Tinley, police say," 29 Aug. 2017
The unarmed Pratt — who had previous convictions for theft and drug possession but had recently graduated from an electrical trade school — became frightened, took off running, and ended up in an alley where Mann fatally shot him.

— mensah m. dean, Philly.com, "Fired Philly cop who shot 3 men is back on the beat," 25 Aug. 2017
The IRS has an email notification address specifically for businesses and organizations to report W-2 thefts: dataloss@irs.gov.

— joyce m. rosenberg, The Seattle Times, "Get Started: FBI warns of spreading W-2 email theft scheme," 21 Aug. 2017
No mention of the Awan group’s theft of information from Congress.

— andrew c. mccarthy, National Review, "The Very Strange Indictment of Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s IT Scammers," 21 Aug. 2017
Tyreik Baldwin was charged July 5 in Jackson County Circuit Court with first-degree murder, domestic assault, armed criminal action, vehicle theft and fleeing.

— toriano porter, kansascity, "Blue Springs murder suspect is accused of assaulting female guard day after arrest," 5 Aug. 2017
Williams faces three counts of theft by deception under $10,000 — a Class D felony that can carry with it a prison sentence of one to five years.

— steve jones, The Courier-Journal, "Ex-Louisville player Chris Williams pleads not guilty to theft charges," 4 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'theft.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of theft

Middle English thiefthe, from Old English thīefth; akin to Old English thēof thief

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

theft Synonyms

Synonyms

larceny, robbery, stealing, thievery

THEFT Defined for English Language Learners

theft

play

noun

Definition of theft for English Language Learners

: the act or crime of stealing

THEFT Defined for Kids

theft

play

noun \ ˈtheft \

Definition of theft for Students

:the act of stealing

Law Dictionary

theft

noun

legal Definition of theft

: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 commiting 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.

Origin and Etymology of theft

Old English thiefth

Learn More about theft

See words that rhyme with theft Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for theft Spanish Central: Translation of theft Nglish: Translation of theft for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of theft for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about theft

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up theft? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

theft

Definition of theft

Explore Merriam-Webster

Examples of theft in a Sentence

Recent Examples of theft from the Web

Origin and Etymology of theft

theft Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Phrases Related to THEFT

Related Phrases

THEFT Defined for English Language Learners

theft

Definition of theft for English Language Learners

THEFT Defined for Kids

theft

Definition of theft for Students

Law Dictionary

theft

legal Definition of theft

Origin and Etymology of theft

Learn More about theft

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

How 'Premises' Came to Mean 'Property'

10 Uncommon Words for 'Drunkard'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066