thievery

noun

thiev·​ery ˈthēv-rē How to pronounce thievery (audio)
ˈthē-və-
plural thieveries
: the act or practice or an instance of stealing : theft

Example Sentences

a case of suspected thievery a man who has a history of petty thievery and narcotics peddling
Recent Examples on the Web Yet the heart of the plan called for an act of outright thievery: to snatch a Spanish galleon loaded with virgin silver and hundreds of thousands of silver coins. David Grann, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2023 But today, with the country in dire economic straits and many people jobless, petty thievery and robbery have become widespread. Pamela Constable, Washington Post, 9 Dec. 2022 From accusations of unsafe driving, outright thievery and harassment, or even fueling political unrest, the group is a catchall for whatever ills plague Kenyan cities, intensely disliked by car drivers and pedestrians alike. Paul Stremple, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Dec. 2022 What has made the thievery so unique is the divergent approaches. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 12 Jan. 2023 And while it’s paid off, she’s found there are some downsides to being a creator— namely, colorism and thievery. Robin Mosley, Wired, 4 Feb. 2021 Unfortunately, these bogs have been subject to peat thievery for the nursery trade. Erica Gies, Scientific American, 13 Dec. 2022 Compare it to what Ordell has with his Rolodex of misbegotten women, with their drug problems, attitudes, thievery. K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone, 25 Dec. 2022 States had mainly used hacking for acts of espionage and financial thievery, for subversion and sabotage. Thomas Gibbons-neff, New York Times, 16 Dec. 2022 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1568, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thievery was in 1568

Dictionary Entries Near thievery

Cite this Entry

“Thievery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thievery. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

thievery

noun
thiev·​ery ˈthēv-(ə-)rē How to pronounce thievery (audio)
plural thieveries
: the action of stealing : theft

More from Merriam-Webster on thievery

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


What Did You Just Call Me?

  • brown chihuahua sitting on the floor with squinting eyes looking at the camera
  • Before we went to her house, Hannah told us her aunt was a flibbertigibbet.
Spell It

Hear a word and type it out. How many can you get right?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY