theft

play

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 itb : 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

He previously was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon, grand theft, possession of a dangerous weapon and other parole violations.

— david hernandez, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Most wanted: Parole violation," 20 July 2017
Theft •License plates were reported stolen off a car parked on the 1700 block of Dempster Street on July 7.

— jennifer johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Park Ridge police: Man accused of shoving teenage girl," 19 July 2017
Critics warned that so much data, if leaked or otherwise released, could lead to identity theft.

— michael wines, New York Times, "Trump Election Commission, Already Under Fire, Holds First Meeting," 19 July 2017
Critics see it as an unconstitutional policy allowing for outright theft by law enforcement, which isn’t even required to have evidence of a crime before seizing assets.

— adam k. raymond, Daily Intelligencer, "Jeff Sessions Has Made it Easier for the Police to Take Your Stuff," 19 July 2017
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Public employees in Iowa have been fired in recent months for misconduct such as theft, fraud and student mistreatment, according to records obtained under a new law that reveals those details for the first time.

— barbara rodriguez, The Seattle Times, "New law details firings of Iowa public workers for 1st time," 18 July 2017
Matthew Reginald Martin, 16, of Merrillville, faces charges of assisting a criminal and auto theft, according to Lake County court records.

— becky jacobs, Post-Tribune, "Gary girl, 15, charged as adult in mother's February death," 18 July 2017
A spokesperson for the housecleaning app Handy said that in 2016, more than 500 users submitted substantiated claims of theft to the company.

— hannah seligson, Cosmopolitan, "Your Mobile Apps Are More Dangerous Than You Think," 15 July 2017
The theft was recorded on the veteran’s home surveillance camera.

— alex giles wbtv, charlotteobserver, "Caught on camera: Gun stolen from disabled vet’s car in Mount Holly," 14 July 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

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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 Editor's 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) Editor's 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 Editor's note: Petty theft is a misdemeanor but may be aggravated by prior convictions.