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grand larceny

American  

noun

Law.
  1. larceny in which the value of the goods taken is above a certain legally specified amount.


grand larceny British  

noun

  1. (formerly in England) the theft of property valued at over 12 pence. Abolished in 1827

  2. (in some states of the US) the theft of property of which the value is above a specified figure, varying from state to state but usually being between $25 and $60

"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 grand larceny

First recorded in 1840–50

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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.

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These kids had fancy snacks, posters and portable speakers, while my kid was in a gray cell block staring at four concrete walls like she was about to do hard time for grand larceny.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Brentford were superior in every aspect, and had Liverpool somehow rescued a point it would have been grand larceny.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2025

The fraudster fashionista, who inspired Netflix’s “Inventing Anna” series and was convicted in 2019 of eight felony counts including grand larceny, said she sought approval from U.S.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2024

Cases of grand larceny — which include financial scams and credit card fraud — dipped 6% but remained high at 3,780 incidents.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 19, 2023

As for Father Michael Antoniou, he was later convicted of attempted grand larceny and served two years in prison.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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