theft
Americannoun
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the act of stealing; the wrongful taking and carrying away of the personal goods or property of another; larceny.
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an instance of this.
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Archaic. something stolen.
noun
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criminal law the dishonest taking of property belonging to another person with the intention of depriving the owner permanently of its possession
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rare something stolen
Usage
What does theft mean? Theft is the act of stealing. An instance of stealing can also be called a theft.A person who commits theft is called a thief. The word especially refers to a person who steals in secret and without using force or violence.In general, intentionally taking something that doesn’t belong to you is theft. The word most commonly refers to the stealing of money or physical property, but theft can involve the stealing of other things, such as personal information (which is called identity theft).The word theft often refers to a case in which a thief steals something without anyone noticing, at least not when the theft is taking place. In contrast, a case in which a person who steals by using force, violence, or threats of force or violence would more likely be called a robbery. Still, the word theft is used generally to refer to any case of something being stolen. In this way, a robbery is a kind of theft.Most instances of theft are crimes, but the word can be used to refer to an instance of stealing that wouldn’t get a person arrested. You might call it theft when your sibling steals a cookie from your plate, for example.A legal term for some kinds of theft is larceny. The word thievery can mean the same thing as theft, but it typically refers to the practice of stealing—thieves lead a life of thievery.Example: I don’t care that he only stole a few things—it’s still theft.
Other Word Forms
- antitheft adjective
- theftless adjective
Etymology
Origin of theft
before 900; Middle English; Old English thēfth, thēofth; thief, -th 1; cognate with Old Norse thȳfth, obsolete Dutch diefte
Compare meaning
How does theft compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While hearing the case earlier this month, the Supreme Court criticised WhatsApp's "take it or leave it policy", saying that it was a way of "committing theft of private information".
From BBC
The January heist in New York was the latest in a string of thefts targeting collectors of Pokemon, the Japanese media franchise that marks its 30th anniversary on Friday.
From Barron's
World IDs could present tempting targets for theft if they become widely adopted, according to Rory Mir, director of open access and tech community engagement at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights advocacy group.
She wants knives removed from shelves and placed in locked cabinets behind shop counters to eliminate the risk of theft.
From BBC
In 2024, federal prosecutors accused the head of the firm that provided the AI tool, Joanna Smith-Griffin, of defrauding investors and charged her with securities fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
