thievery

American  

[thee-vuh-ree] / ˈθi və ri /

noun

• thieveries
  plural

1. the act or practice of thieving; theft.

2. something taken by theft.

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Usage

What does thievery mean? Thievery is the practice of thieving—stealing. Thieves lead a life of thievery. The words thief and theft are often used in situations in which a person steals in secret and without using force or violence. However, the word thievery is used in the context of all kinds of thefts, even violent ones. Thieve and thievery often imply that such activity is habitual or part of a criminal lifestyle. Example: He is a pirate, a rogue—he knows nothing but lies and thievery.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• thieveries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of thievery

First recorded in 1560–70; thieve + -ery

Explanation

Use the noun thievery when you need a colorful, old fashioned way to describe stealing: you might complain bitterly about the thievery in your neighborhood after having your third bicycle stolen in a month. If you're worried about thievery, you might install a burglar alarm or get a big barking dog. A more common way to say thievery is theft, or in a police report, larceny. It's easy to see where the word thievery comes from — to thieve is to steal, and both words come from the Old English root þeof, or thief.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thievery thieveries

Nestlé said it had publicized the incident with humor to raise awareness around the more serious issue of thievery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026

Speaking exclusively to Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, he said if ministers go ahead with plans to allow AI firms to use artists' content without paying, they would be "committing theft, thievery on a high scale".

From BBC ● May 18, 2025

While malfeasance in politics happens in all parts of Southern California, the level of skulduggery, and sometimes outright thievery, by council members in southeast L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2025

In the last few years, though, homeless encampments have multiplied in the surrounding streets and thievery has become so relentless that the brothers are ready to give up and sell their business.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 3, 2023

With the rats taking bits of their stores every day, it was easy to hide a little thievery here and there, but hiding two people altogether—it had never been done.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee

The crisis is achieved when the Mayor's thieveries threaten to reflect on his daughter, but there is a boy who loves her and who is able to protect the Mayor's good name for her sake.

From Time Magazine Archive

In Blake's drawing of Brunelleschi, the attacking serpent is not so much an infernal punishment for Brunelleschi's thieveries as a symbol of the envy that made him a thief.

From Time Magazine Archive

Fortune, which will not suffer him to be honest, makes his thieveries, in her extremity of whim, to be but benefits for others.

From An Introduction to Shakespeare by H. N. MacCracken

Gridley is the man who has made all this strike trouble, bossing the job to get you out and to get himself in, so he could cover up his thieveries.

From The Taming of Red Butte Western by Francis Lynde

"Now, let's ask him about the thieveries that have been going on," suggested Ned Rector.

From The Pony Rider Boys in the Grand Canyon Or, The Mystery of Bright Angel Gulch by Frank Gee Patchin