petit larceny
Americannoun
noun
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(formerly in England) the stealing of property valued at 12 pence or under. Abolished 1827
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(in some states of the US) the theft of property having a value below a certain figure
Other Word 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
But when prosecutors wrote up the complaint against Myers, the top charge was downgraded from felony grand larceny to petit larceny, court records show.
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
His long confinement, however, seems to have had no very beneficial effect, for in a few months he was again convicted of petit larceny, and sentenced to serve in the chain gang.
From Secret Band of Brothers A Full and True Exposition of All the Various Crimes, Villanies, and Misdeeds of This Powerful Organization in the United States. by Jonathan Harrington Green
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.