larceny

American  

[lahr-suh-nee] / ˈlɑr sə ni /

noun

Law.

plural

larcenies

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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larceny British  

/ ˈlɑːsɪnɪ /

noun

1. law (formerly) a technical word for theft

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larceny Cultural  

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

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Other Word Forms

• larcenist noun
• larcenous adjective
• larcenously adverb

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

Compare meaning

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

• larceny vs. robbery
• larceny vs. grand larceny
• theft vs. larceny

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.

Example Sentences

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

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 this month.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 25, 2025

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

Red Tie shifts his attention back to the petty larceny.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

Related Words

• burglary
• misappropriation
• robbery