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shoplifter

American  
[shop-lif-ter] / ˈʃɒpˌlɪf tər /

noun

  1. a person who steals goods from the shelves or displays of a retail store while posing as a customer.

shoplifter British  
/ ˈʃɒpˌlɪftə /

noun

  1. a person who steals goods from a shop during shopping hours

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of shoplifter

1670–80; obsolete shoplift shoplifter ( shop + lift ) + -er 1

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.

It reminds Shabana Mahmood of the years when she worked on the till in her parents' corner shop, with a cricket bat under the counter ready to deter shoplifters who stole, time and again.

From BBC

Former shoplifter Keeley believes sending shoplifters with addictions to jail is a "waste of resources" as it does not treat the root cause of the offending.

From BBC

The time it takes to bring shoplifters to justice is "unacceptable" with retailers waiting longer for criminals to face punishment compared with a decade ago, the BBC has learned.

From BBC

Sainsbury's is planning to introduce facial recognition technology across its supermarkets in a bid to identify shoplifters.

From BBC

Shop owners should greet customers as soon as they enter a store in a bid to deter shoplifters, police have advised.

From BBC

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.