larceny

[ lahr-suh-nee ]
See synonyms for larceny on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural lar·ce·nies.Law.
  1. the wrongful taking of someone's property or goods, removing them from their owner's posession with intent to convert them to the taker's own use.

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Origin of larceny

1
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English larceni, from Anglo-French larcin “theft,” from Latin latrōcinium “robbery” (equivalent to latrōcin(ārī) “to rob,” originally “serve as mercenary soldier” (derivative of latrō “hired soldier, robber”) + -ium -ium) + -y3

Words Nearby larceny

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How to use larceny in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for larceny

larceny

/ (ˈlɑːsɪnɪ) /


nounplural -nies
  1. law (formerly) a technical word for theft

Origin of larceny

1
C15: from Old French larcin, from Latin lātrocinium robbery, from latrō robber

Derived forms of larceny

  • larcenist or larcener, noun
  • larcenous, adjective
  • larcenously, adverb

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

Cultural definitions for larceny

larceny

[ (lahr-suh-nee) ]


Theft; taking another person's property with the intent of permanently depriving the owner.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.