pilfer
Americanverb (used with or without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have pilferedperfect
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has pilferedperfect 3rd person singular
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is pilferingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been pilferingperfect progressive
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has been pilferingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am pilferingprogressive 1st person singular
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are pilferingprogressive
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pilferssingular 3rd person
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pilferingparticiple
Past
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had pilferedperfect
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had been pilferingperfect progressive
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was pilferingprogressive singular
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pilferedsimple
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were pilferingprogressive plural
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pilferedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of pilfer
1540–50; v. use of late Middle English pilfre booty < Middle French pelfre. See pelf
Explanation
To pilfer is to steal something, typically of small value. Minor thefts, like taking a roll of toilet paper out of a public bathroom or napkins from the Early Bird Buffet are what your grandfather, for example, might pilfer. The verb pilfer comes from the Old French noun pelfre, meaning “booty,” or “spoils.” Now pilfer is used when talking about the act of stealing loot: you may find that you have to really restrain yourself from the desire to pilfer your friend’s new fur-lined gloves, even though you're pretty sure she pilfered your headphones. Robin Hood was able to pilfer from the rich to give to the poor.
Vocabulary lists containing pilfer
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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This Week in Pop Culture: August 10–16, 2019
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A Long Way from Chicago
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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.
But when Uncle Murray refuses to pay up, and Marty has to pilfer the money for his trip, the road to global eminence takes some sharp turns.
From Salon • Dec. 25, 2025
There, detectives watched a four-person crew suspected in the thefts pilfer more Scratchers.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2024
Meta said it would be sharing tips with potential victims on how they can avoid being “re-compromised” by learning how to better spot problematic apps that pilfer credentials, whether for Facebook or other accounts.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 7, 2022
They break into garages, pilfer supposedly unreachable bird feeders and ransack trash bins, even defeating lids specifically designed to thwart them.
From New York Times • Sep. 22, 2022
I head toward the kitchen to see what I can pilfer before dinner.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
