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petit larceny

American  
[pet-ee] / ˈpɛt i /

noun

Law.
  1. petty larceny.


petit larceny British  

noun

  1. (formerly in England) the stealing of property valued at 12 pence or under. Abolished 1827

  2. (in some states of the US) the theft of property having a value below a certain figure

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of petit larceny

First recorded in 1580–90

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.

Drago was found guilty of one misdemeanor count of petit larceny for stealing a bouquet and other items from the memorial that Rodriguez had set up to honor her teenage daughter, Kayla Cuevas.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 24, 2023

The “Fantastic Beasts” star appeared in Vermont Superior Court remotely with their lawyer for the arraignment to felony burglary and petit larceny.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 13, 2023

"Now he's charged with petit larceny, which is not even bail eligible."

From Fox News • Feb. 21, 2022

The organization actively lobbies the Virginia legislature and supported legislation in 2020 that abolished the death penalty, reformed the expungement process, and ended the “three-strikes” felony enhancement for petit larceny offenses.

From Slate • Jun. 16, 2021

If the value of the property stolen is of less amount, the offense is called petit larceny, and is punished by fine or imprisonment in jail or both.

From The Government Class Book Designed for the Instruction of Youth in the Principles of Constitutional Government and the Rights and Duties of Citizens. by Young, Andrew W.

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