larceny
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of larceny
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 ) + -y 3
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How does larceny compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Larceny is the legal term for stealing. Grand larceny is when you take something worth a lot of money, petty larceny when the stolen item is worth relatively little. Larceny is used when talking about stealing someone's property in regards to the law. If you illegally download music or plagiarize a text, that may be theft, but it is not larceny because there was no physical property involved. If you take a friend's yoyo and don't give it back, it's stealing — unless your friend calls the police and has you arrested on charges of larceny.
Vocabulary lists containing larceny
The Sun Is Also a Star
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A Long Way from Chicago
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Oliver Twist
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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.
He arrived at Liverpool from AS Roma on 23 June 2017 for £34m, a fee now resembling an act of grand larceny when set against what he subsequently achieved.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
Hall also described the intellectual property theft of books used to train AI models as "creative larceny at scale".
From BBC • Mar. 15, 2026
But in late September, Saks said its security officials got a tip that triggered an investigation, resulting in Kwatra’s termination and charges of fraud and larceny filed against him.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026
Property crimes including burglary, motor vehicle theft and larceny also are trending down, according to city data.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 13, 2025
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
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.
