theft

American  

[theft] / θɛft /

noun

• thefts
  plural

1. the act of stealing; the wrongful taking and carrying away of the personal goods or property of another; larceny.

2. an instance of this.

3. Archaic. something stolen.

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theft British  

/ θɛft /

noun

1. criminal law the dishonest taking of property belonging to another person with the intention of depriving the owner permanently of its possession

2. rare something stolen

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Usage

What does theft mean? Theft is the act of stealing. An instance of stealing can also be called a theft. A person who commits theft is called a thief. The word especially refers to a person who steals in secret and without using force or violence. In general, intentionally taking something that doesn’t belong to you is theft. The word most commonly refers to the stealing of money or physical property, but theft can involve the stealing of other things, such as personal information (which is called identity theft). The word theft often refers to a case in which a thief steals something without anyone noticing, at least not when the theft is taking place. In contrast, a case in which a person who steals by using force, violence, or threats of force or violence would more likely be called a robbery. Still, the word theft is used generally to refer to any case of something being stolen. In this way, a robbery is a kind of theft. Most instances of theft are crimes, but the word can be used to refer to an instance of stealing that wouldn’t get a person arrested. You might call it theft when your sibling steals a cookie from your plate, for example. A legal term for some kinds of theft is larceny. The word thievery can mean the same thing as theft, but it typically refers to the practice of stealing—thieves lead a life of thievery. Example: I don’t care that he only stole a few things—it’s still theft.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antitheft
  adjective
• theftless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• thefts
  plural

Etymology

Origin of theft

before 900; Middle English; Old English thēfth, thēofth; see thief, -th ¹; cognate with Old Norse thȳfth, obsolete Dutch diefte

Compare meaning

How does theft compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• theft vs. larceny

Explanation

Theft is the act of stealing something. If you've ever taken your sister's sweater without asking her first, then she's right: that's an instance of theft! The word theft refers to taking something from someone else without getting permission. Shoplifting is a form of theft, as is embezzling a million dollars from your business partner's Swiss bank account. In the United States, petty theft is the act of stealing anything worth less than $500, like someone's bike or a pack of gum. It's still a punishable crime, but you will get in much bigger trouble if you steal something more valuable, like a car.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

theft thefts

On a practical level, he added, the data sharing increased the risk of breaches that can open law-abiding citizens up to identity theft.

From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026

Additionally, we had a rare opportunity with this round of coverage to speak directly to an identity theft victim and an active facilitator.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

The Metro highlights the story of a mother whose "lad's still serving time after phone theft in 2005".

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

A two-hour drive west of Havana, in rural Consolacion del Sur, the picture is much the same for farmer Fidel Maqueira, who spends his nights guarding his oxen against theft.

From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026

He could not believe it safe to mention the theft of gold and the name of the thief in the presence of any goldsmith.

From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

The rooftop thefts are a newer trend in the Pasadena area and have amounted to more damage than what the copper material is worth, Cuellar said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust - an independent trust which manages the shrine - held its first meeting on Monday after allegations of donation thefts surfaced last month.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

California’s crime rate dropped last year to historic lows in several major categories, including violent crimes like robbery and homicides, with property crimes and incidents of car thefts also down, state officials announced.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026

Since the scam, which happened in January this year, Little has spent time researching such thefts and just how common they are.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

‘The practise of transcription in our dayes was no monster in theirs: Plagiarie had not its nativitie with printing,’ he concluded, ‘but began in times when thefts were difficult’ because books were in short supply.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• break in
• burglary
• crime
• embezzlement
• extortion
• fraud
• heist
• holdup
• larceny
• looting
• mugging
• piracy
• robbery
• shoplifting
• thievery
• vandalism