shoplifting

Word family

• shoplift
  verbB1
• shoplifter
  nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Shoplifting, theft, robbery, and burglary all describe the act of taking something that is not yours, but they differ in setting and method. Theft is the broadest term — it covers any taking of someone else's property without permission, whether from a shop, a home, or a person. Shoplifting is a subtype of theft that specifically happens in a retail store where the thief enters as a customer. Robbery involves using force, threats, or intimidation to steal directly from a person — for example, someone pulling out a weapon and demanding money. Burglary means illegally entering a building (often a home or office at night) with the intent to steal. In everyday conversation: 'My car was broken into — the thief took my bag' (theft). 'A man grabbed her purse and ran off' (robbery). 'Someone broke into the house while they were asleep' (burglary). 'A teenager hid a chocolate bar in her jacket at the shop' (shoplifting).

Common collocations

Etymology

Shoplifting is a compound formed from 'shop' (a place where goods are sold) and 'lifting', an old slang term for stealing. The word was first recorded in the early 1600s, when 'to lift' had already been used in criminal slang for 'to steal' since the 1500s. The image is of someone literally lifting goods off a shop shelf and walking away with them.