larceny
Americannoun
-
larcenies
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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:
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.
See Examples For:
The fraud and larceny charges against him are an embarrassment for Saks, one of the last remaining luxury department stores, which has been struggling with financial issues.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
Shootings in New York declined to a record-low rate in the first half of 2025, while homicides dropped 23% and larceny also fell, especially shoplifting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025
The bill would require immigration agents to take into custody people who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny or shoplifting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 14, 2025
One critic noted that "when Maggie Smith is on the screen, the picture moves," and Burton afterwards teasingly described her upstaging of him as "grand larceny."
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2024
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
Murders have declined more than 6%, rapes nearly 8%, robberies nearly 3%, burglaries about 8% and grand larcenies nearly 2%.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 18, 2023
Property crime also increased in 2022, with burglaries up 19%, larcenies 21%, vehicle thefts 45% and carjackings 21%, according to police data.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 10, 2023
In a different example, he directed prosecutors to reduce armed robbery cases to petit larcenies, barring certain circumstances.
From Fox News ● Jan. 20, 2022
Aggravated assaults are up this year, while larcenies and robberies are down.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 15, 2021
On remand for numerous larcenies: Mulch Diggums, the kleptomaniac dwarf.
From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer
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.
