Theft definition
Theft is defined as the act of stealing.
An example of theft is someone stealing another person's car.
noun
(obsolete) Something stolen.
noun
The unlawful taking of the property of another; larceny.
The prevention of theft.
noun
An instance of such taking.
Several car thefts.
noun
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Larceny; the unlawful expropriation of someone else’s property with the intent of keeping it from its rightful owner.
noun
In its broadest sense, any example or act of stealing, which includes burglary, embezzlement, false pretenses, fraud, and larceny. While larceny is generally categorized as petty or grand depending on the value of the goods taken, theft is generally categorized by the type of property stolen.
noun
The misappropriation of another’s confidential and personal information such that the one taking such data can use such information to pass as the other by submission of credit documents, forging of identification cards, etc.
The act or an instance of stealing; larceny.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun
Singular:
theft
Plural:
theftsOrigin of theft
- Middle English from Old English thīefth
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- Old English þȳft, þēoft, earlier þīefþ, þēofþ, from Proto-Germanic *þiubiþō, from *þeubaz (“thief"). Cognate with Old Norse þeoft, þeofð and (obsolete) Dutch diefte. Compare thief, -th.
From Wiktionary