petty larceny

American

noun

Law.

larceny in which the value of the goods taken is below a certain legally specified amount.

petty larceny British

noun

a variant spelling of petit larceny

"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

Etymology

Origin of petty larceny

First recorded in 1810–20

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.

"From a landlord’s perspective, from storeowner’s perspective, we’re terrified of this, his policies and what not. Armed robbery of a store is now a petty larceny? What insanity is this?" he said.

From Fox News • Feb. 14, 2022

She pleaded no contest May 18 to petty larceny and was released after serving 81 days in jail.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 13, 2021

There was too much at stake, namely personal liberty, to rule otherwise—even for Gideon, who was charged with breaking and entering with intent to commit petty larceny.

From Slate • Jul. 8, 2020

She was charged with petty larceny, fraud and fortunetelling.

From New York Times • Apr. 25, 2016

Red Tie shifts his attention back to the petty larceny.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023