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petty larceny

American  

noun

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


petty larceny British  

noun

  1. 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.

See Examples For:

"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

The 1868 Florida Constitution disenfranchised felons and included petty larceny among the crimes that counted as felonies.

From New York Times Sep. 26, 2018

He was charged with petty larceny and trespassing, and bond was denied.

From Slate Sep. 1, 2015

Red Tie shifts his attention back to the petty larceny.

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

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