thief

noun

plural thieves ˈthēvz How to pronounce thief (audio)
: one that steals especially stealthily or secretly
also : one who commits theft or larceny

Examples of thief in a Sentence

A thief took my purse. a thief has been stealing wallets and valuables from the lockers at the gym
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Eyes on Within four minutes of arriving at the outside wall of the Louvre, the thieves had scaled the building and were breaking through a window. Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025 President and director of the Louvre, Laurence des Cars, told the French Senate that the only camera installed outside the Apollo Gallery did not capture footage of the window where the thieves broke in and exited. Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025 Seuzeneau warned in an earlier statement that any would-be thieves should think twice before preying upon businesses in Slidell. Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 5 Nov. 2025 At least one of the thieves remains at large, French prosecutors say. Mason Leath, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for thief

Word History

Etymology

Middle English theef, from Old English thēof; akin to Old High German diob thief

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thief was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thief. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

thief

noun
plural thieves ˈthēvz How to pronounce thief (audio)
: one that steals

Legal Definition

thief

noun
plural thieves
: one who commits theft
Etymology

Old English thēof

More from Merriam-Webster on thief

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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