thievery

American  

[thee-vuh-ree] / ˈθi və ri /

noun

• thieveries
  plural

1. the act or practice of thieving; theft.

2. something taken by theft.

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Usage

What does thievery mean? Thievery is the practice of thieving—stealing. Thieves lead a life of thievery. The words thief and theft are often used in situations in which a person steals in secret and without using force or violence. However, the word thievery is used in the context of all kinds of thefts, even violent ones. Thieve and thievery often imply that such activity is habitual or part of a criminal lifestyle. Example: He is a pirate, a rogue—he knows nothing but lies and thievery.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• thieveries
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of thievery

First recorded in 1560–70; thieve + -ery

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Explanation

Use the noun thievery when you need a colorful, old fashioned way to describe stealing: you might complain bitterly about the thievery in your neighborhood after having your third bicycle stolen in a month. If you're worried about thievery, you might install a burglar alarm or get a big barking dog. A more common way to say thievery is theft, or in a police report, larceny. It's easy to see where the word thievery comes from — to thieve is to steal, and both words come from the Old English root þeof, or thief.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thievery thieveries

Nestlé said it had publicized the incident with humor to raise awareness around the more serious issue of thievery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026

The North Koreans have not only made their thievery more efficient, but have also refined their money-laundering techniques to the point that the stolen booty disappears into the dark reaches of cyberspace within days.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 28, 2025

Speaking exclusively to Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, he said if ministers go ahead with plans to allow AI firms to use artists' content without paying, they would be "committing theft, thievery on a high scale".

From BBC ● May 18, 2025

In the last few years, though, homeless encampments have multiplied in the surrounding streets and thievery has become so relentless that the brothers are ready to give up and sell their business.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 3, 2023

With the rats taking bits of their stores every day, it was easy to hide a little thievery here and there, but hiding two people altogether—it had never been done.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee

The crisis is achieved when the Mayor's thieveries threaten to reflect on his daughter, but there is a boy who loves her and who is able to protect the Mayor's good name for her sake.

From Time Magazine Archive

In Blake's drawing of Brunelleschi, the attacking serpent is not so much an infernal punishment for Brunelleschi's thieveries as a symbol of the envy that made him a thief.

From Time Magazine Archive

It is that troop of beggars; bringing their tricks and their thieveries they are to the Kinvara fair.

From The Unicorn from the Stars and Other Plays by Lady Gregory

After Flemister had gone, Lidgerwood was almost sorry that he had not struck at once into the matter of the thieveries.

From The Taming of Red Butte Western by Francis Lynde

"We'll pass up the petty thieveries, for the present, and look a little higher," he said gravely.

From The Taming of Red Butte Western by Francis Lynde

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