theft

noun \ ˈtheft \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

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

The theft was a backpack containing personal items taken from a locked locker after the padlock was forcibly removed.

— jesse wright, chicagotribune.com, "Elmhurst police blotter: Locker theft, car burglaries reported at XSport Fitness," 13 Apr. 2018
Prichard's Mayor Jimmie Gardner said in February that he was concerned about the erosion of trust created between city officials and the people of Prichard after the theft was discovered.

— christopher harress, AL.com, "Former Prichard Chief of staff to appear in court on theft charges," 12 Apr. 2018
The theft occurred sometime from March 9 to March 12. 5.

— Sun-Sentinel.com, "CRIME," 12 Apr. 2018
Monday, Facebook informed its users that the data theft also included information from its users' private messages.

— lorraine ali, latimes.com, "Mark Zuckerberg struggles to put his best Facebook forward during a day in the hot seat," 11 Apr. 2018
The first theft occurred on March 18 when a white 2010 Ford F-150 pickup truck reportedly was stolen after a gate was cut open.

— community report, Houston Chronicle, "Liberty County business hit twice by thieves," 10 Apr. 2018
The car theft occurred about 12:15 p.m. after the children’s father went into the cellphone store in a shopping center on Euclid Avenue near Imperial Avenue, San Diego police said.

— david hernandez, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Kidnapped siblings, stolen car located at U.S-Mexico border," 9 Apr. 2018
According to the Toronto Star, the theft took place the evening of March 12 at Gardiner Museum in Toronto.

— gabriella paiella, The Cut, "Who Stole Yoko Ono’s $17,000 Rock?," 9 Apr. 2018
All of this, plus the theft that occurred in those two days, embittered business owners, most of whom never returned to the West Side.

— Chicago Tribune, "Rage, riots, ruin," 9 Apr. 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.

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

theft Synonyms

Synonyms

larceny, robbery, stealing, thievery;

Related Words

burglary, housebreaking;

embezzlement, embezzling, graft, misapplication, misappropriation;

filching, pilferage, pilfering, purloining, shoplifting;

abduction, carjacking, hijacking (also highjacking), kidnapping (also kidnaping), shanghaiing;

THEFT Defined for English Language Learners

theft

noun

Definition of theft for English Language Learners

: the act or crime of stealing

THEFT Defined for Kids

theft

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

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theft

Definition of theft

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

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