petty theft

American  

[pet-ee theft] / ˈpɛt i ˈθɛft /

noun

• petty thefts
  plural

1. theft involving a small amount of money or items of little value.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• petty thief
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• petty thefts
  plural

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

petty theft

Elaine Forbes, 53, was charged Tuesday with one count of prowling on private property, two counts of lodging without an owner’s consent and one count of petty theft, according to Marin County Superior Court records.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

Ortega pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor counts of petty theft in 2023.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2025

The sheriff’s office did not name the newspaper theft suspect in its statement, but The Plaindealer said the office had cited Paul Choate, 41, on suspicion of petty theft.

From New York Times ● Jan. 21, 2024

Mr. Mayorga also pleaded guilty to a petty theft offense in August.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 18, 2023

So, you see, even these minor distinctions felt like petty theft.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez