1
a
: the act of stealing
specifically
: the felonious taking and removing of personal property with intent to deprive the rightful owner of it
b
: an unlawful taking (as by embezzlement or burglary) of property
2
: a stolen base in baseball
3
obsolete
: something stolen
Examples of theft in a Sentence
The theft of the jewelry and other valuables was immediately reported to the police.
He was found guilty of theft.
Recent Examples on the Web
Each of them had two or more prior theft convictions.
—
Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2024
The 18-year-old suspect was arrested last month on auto theft charges and released without bond, Davis said.
—Alex Sundby, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2024
The restaurant industry has long been an entry point for immigrants, and a hotbed for labor violations like wage theft.
—Stefanos Chen, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
All that remained from the theft of the Jackie Robinson statue at a baseball park in Wichita was the cleats.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
This council can also recommend standards for fast food worker safety, as well as work with existing state agencies to investigate issues like wage theft.
—Parija Kavilanz, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara is in talks to plead guilty to the theft of the baseball star’s money.
—Trisha Garcia-Easto, Sacramento Bee, 11 Apr. 2024
Damage from natural forces and human theft threaten the petroglyphs and footprints, so the researchers propose arrangements like handrails for visitors and a structure that can redirect rainwater and prevent debris from moving across the outctops' surfaces.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 9 Apr. 2024
On Monday, a Hamilton County grand jury indicted Brenda Cowden, 54, on 10 felony charges including telecommunications fraud, forgery, theft and identity fraud.
—The Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2024
Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2024
The 18-year-old suspect was arrested last month on auto theft charges and released without bond, Davis said.
—Alex Sundby, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2024
The restaurant industry has long been an entry point for immigrants, and a hotbed for labor violations like wage theft.
—Stefanos Chen, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
All that remained from the theft of the Jackie Robinson statue at a baseball park in Wichita was the cleats.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2024
This council can also recommend standards for fast food worker safety, as well as work with existing state agencies to investigate issues like wage theft.
—Parija Kavilanz, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024
Ohtani’s former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara is in talks to plead guilty to the theft of the baseball star’s money.
—Trisha Garcia-Easto, Sacramento Bee, 11 Apr. 2024
Damage from natural forces and human theft threaten the petroglyphs and footprints, so the researchers propose arrangements like handrails for visitors and a structure that can redirect rainwater and prevent debris from moving across the outctops' surfaces.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 9 Apr. 2024
On Monday, a Hamilton County grand jury indicted Brenda Cowden, 54, on 10 felony charges including telecommunications fraud, forgery, theft and identity fraud.
—The Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'theft.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near theft
Cite this Entry
“Theft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theft. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
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theft
noun
: the act of stealing
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