theft

noun

ˈtheft 

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

Synonyms of theft

• robbery
• stealing

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 theft is the latest in a series of crimes targeting high-value technology shipments in the Bay Area. — Suzanne Phan, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026

One in ten financial institutions experienced more than 10,000 fraud attempts in 2024 alone, according to Alloy, spanning synthetic identities, account takeovers and credential theft. — Jess Turner, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026

The theft in Oakland is the latest in a wave of increasingly bold hardware heists. — Nick Indge, ArsTechnica, 6 Nov. 2026

The theft happened almost exactly one month before French investigators found the prints, which regularly hang in the restaurant L’Amandier, located in Mougins, the village where Picasso famously resided at the time of his death in 1973. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 5 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing theft

• anti-theft
• grand theft
• identity theft
• petit theft
• petty theft

Rhymes for theft

• cleft
• deft
• heft
• left
• bereft

Kids Definition

theft

noun

ˈtheft 

: the act of stealing

Legal Definition

theft

noun

: 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 committing 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.

Etymology

Old English thiefth