theft

noun

\ ˈtheft

Definition of theft

1a : 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

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about theft

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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 threat of intellectual-property theft in China is real, Mr. Bell said. — Jay Greene, WSJ, "Trump’s Tech Battle With China Roils Bill Gates Nuclear Venture," 1 Jan. 2019 This economy is currently supporting multiple groups and individuals that have moved to capitalize on the opportunity presented by card theft in the era of online shopping. — Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, "E-commerce site is infected not by one, but two card skimmers," 20 Nov. 2018 He was repeatedly arrested for theft in the 1990s, faced felony charges of possession of anabolic steroids in 2004 and was convicted of grand theft in 2014. — Colleen Long, The Seattle Times, "Man charged in mail-bomb plot is a Florida Trump supporter," 26 Oct. 2018 The arrest was part of a larger ongoing investigation into agriculture theft in the Coachella Valley, Riverside County Sheriff's Sgt. — Chris Stirewalt, Fox News, "Trump folds on flag," 27 Aug. 2018 Anthony C Roberson, 27, Milwaukee was charged with three counts of misdemeanor theft in Waukesha County Circuit Court. — Karen Pilarski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee man charged in UPS thefts at Elm Grove facility," 13 July 2018 Police suspect gang members are linked to at least 40 car break-ins and thefts in Carroll County over the past two weeks, Channel 2 Action News reported. — Zachary Hansen, ajc, "Police: DeKalb gang has broken into 40 cars to steal money, guns in Carroll Co.," 5 July 2018 The Department of Corrections has denied an Anchorage Daily News public records request asking for booking photos of the more than 400 people charged with vehicle theft in 2017. — Kyle Hopkins, Anchorage Daily News, "State denies public records request for photos of vehicle theft suspects," 30 June 2018 That came after the theft of millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrency from Japanese exchange Coincheck in January. — Lucinda Shen, Fortune, "This App With 200 Million Users Is Launching a Cryptocurrency Exchange," 28 June 2018

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.