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larceny definition

lar·ceny (lär′sə nē)

noun pl. larcenies -·nies

Law the taking of personal property without consent and with the intention of permanently depriving the owner of it; theft: in some states of the U.S., and formerly in England, larceny in which the value of the property equals or exceeds a specified amount is grand larceny, and larceny involving lesser amounts is petit (or petty) larceny

Etymology: ME < Anglo-Fr larcin < OFr larrecin < L latrocinium < latrocinari, to rob, plunder < latro, mercenary soldier, robber < Gr *latrōn < latron, wages, pay < IE *lēi-, to possess, acquire > OE læs, landed property

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

law larceny definition - legal

larceny Synonyms

larceny

n.

burglary, thievery, robbery; see crime 2, theft. See syn. study at theft.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

larceny Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • commit: If he commits larceny at all, as he seldom does, it is always grand larceny, never petty.

Adjective modifier

  • petty: One Durham witness, for example, was heard to comment ( on a very petty larceny?

Modifies a noun

  • case: Was the larceny case going to be taken first?
larceny usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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"larceny." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/larceny>

APA Style

larceny. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/larceny

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