theft

American  

[theft] / θɛft /

noun

• thefts
  plural

1. the act of stealing; the wrongful taking and carrying away of the personal goods or property of another; larceny.

2. an instance of this.

3. Archaic. something stolen.

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theft British  

/ θɛft /

noun

1. criminal law the dishonest taking of property belonging to another person with the intention of depriving the owner permanently of its possession

2. rare something stolen

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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

Derived Forms

• antitheft
  adjective
• theftless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• thefts
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of theft

before 900; Middle English; Old English thēfth, thēofth; see thief, -th ¹; cognate with Old Norse thȳfth, obsolete Dutch diefte

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Compare meaning

How does theft compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• theft vs. larceny

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Explanation

Theft is the act of stealing something. If you've ever taken your sister's sweater without asking her first, then she's right: that's an instance of theft! The word theft refers to taking something from someone else without getting permission. Shoplifting is a form of theft, as is embezzling a million dollars from your business partner's Swiss bank account. In the United States, petty theft is the act of stealing anything worth less than $500, like someone's bike or a pack of gum. It's still a punishable crime, but you will get in much bigger trouble if you steal something more valuable, like a car.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

theft thefts

Cybersecurity researchers and the Federal Bureau of Investigation attributed the theft to North Korea’s TraderTraitor hacking group.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

The average value of an insurance claim for tool theft in 2025 was £4,206.60, according to insurers Direct Line for Business.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

But how was such a theft possible, and what does it reveal about the security of cryptocurrencies?

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

“There’s something about this level of theft that really gets under my skin,” he told The Times.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

Perugia claimed he couldn’t have stolen the Mona Lisa; he said he’d been at work the morning of the theft.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

The hack is the latest in a string of high-profile cyber thefts linked to North Korea, which has built a formidable hacking operation, generating funds believed to help finance its weapons program.

From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026

After retailers cracked down on in-store thefts, thieves moved online, according to law-enforcement and industry officials.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

Last year, Lynd Fruit Farm in Pataskala, Ohio, warned visitors it would call the sheriff’s office on offenders who hid their pickings at checkout, reporting apple thefts of $80, $160 and $400 at a time.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

Despite a recent drop, vehicle thefts are up almost 50% in England and Wales compared with a decade ago, according to Home Office data.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

‘The practise of transcription in our dayes was no monster in theirs: Plagiarie had not its nativitie with printing,’ he concluded, ‘but began in times when thefts were difficult’ because books were in short supply.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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Related Words

• break in
• burglary
• crime
• embezzlement
• extortion
• fraud
• heist
• holdup
• larceny
• looting
• mugging
• piracy
• robbery
• shoplifting
• thievery
• vandalism

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