light-fingered
Americanadjective
-
skillful at or given to pilfering, especially by picking pockets; thievish.
-
having light and nimble fingers.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of light-fingered
First recorded in 1540–50
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.
Ahead of a plaque being installed near the site, the BBC revisits a story which also involved light-fingered locals, allegations of corrupt police and a mystery man moving through the world of London coin dealers.
From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2026
And he has done so with a light-fingered insouciance that makes every scene incandescent with funny contemporary allusions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026
The owners erected it at the time of the coronavirus pandemic, but keeping out the light-fingered primates was also a prime concern.
From Seattle Times ● May 24, 2024
Writing about Fagin’s light-fingered protégés in “Oliver Twist,” Dickens must have scoured old news articles about the 6,000 pick-pocketing children whose work for gangland bosses carried a death penalty as late as 1808.
From New York Times ● May 31, 2019
“Ah yes, I am already aware that Mundungus has been treating your inheritance with light-fingered contempt,” said Dumbledore, frowning a little.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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.
