theft

theft — noun

1. the crime of taking someone else's property without permission.

1.nounB2
Definition

the crime of taking someone else's property without permission.

Example

Theo was charged with theft after police found the stolen laptop in his car.

charged with theft — common legal collocation

The museum installed extra cameras to prevent the theft of valuable paintings.

prevent the theft of [something]

Common collocations
  • theft of [something]
  • petty theft
  • grand theft
  • car theft
  • report a theft
  • prevent theft
  • suffer a theft
  • be charged with theft
Synonyms
  • stealing

    more informal and often used as a verb-derived noun; theft is the preferred term in formal and legal contexts.

  • robbery

    involves taking property from a person by force or threat, which theft does not require.

  • burglary

    specifically refers to theft involving illegal entry into a building.

  • larceny

    formal legal term used especially in US law; largely interchangeable with theft in legal contexts.

Antonyms
  • return

    the act of giving something back to its owner, the opposite of taking it.

  • restitution

    formal term for returning stolen property or compensating the victim.

Grammar Patterns

theft of [something]

report a theft

charged with theft

Usage Note

Usually uncountable when referring to the crime in general (Theft is a serious problem). Countable when referring to a specific incident (There were three thefts last night).

Common Mistakes

My bike was stolen. I need to report the stealing.
My bike was stolen. I need to report the theft.
'Stealing' is a verb form describing an action; 'theft' is the noun for the crime itself.
He went to prison for robbery of a watch.
He went to prison for theft of a watch.
'Robbery' involves force or threat against a person; 'theft' does not require direct confrontation.

2. in baseball, a stolen base — when a runner runs safely to the next base while th

2.nounC1
Definition

in baseball, a stolen base — when a runner runs safely to the next base while the pitcher is throwing, recorded as a statistic.

Example

Yan stole second base, recorded in the stats as a theft, while the pitcher threw to first.

recorded in the stats as a theft — links 'stolen base' and 'theft' terminology

Amelia leads the league in thefts this season, with twenty-two stolen bases.

lead the league in thefts — baseball statistic context

Common collocations
  • a theft
  • theft of [base]
  • lead the league in thefts
  • attempt a theft
  • record a theft
Synonyms
  • stolen base

    the standard, more common term in baseball; 'theft' is a synonym used in statistics.

  • steal

    informal short form; 'He got a steal in the third inning.'

Antonyms
  • caught stealing

    when a runner is thrown out while attempting to steal a base.

Grammar Patterns

a theft (in baseball)

lead the league in thefts

Usage Note

Less common than the term stolen base in everyday baseball commentary, but used in statistical summaries and formal baseball writing.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe the act of taking what is not yours, but they differ in scope and legal weight. Theft is the broadest and most common term — it covers any dishonest taking of property without permission. Robbery narrows the meaning: it requires that the taker uses force or threatens a person directly (a mugging is robbery, not simple theft). Burglary involves illegal entry into a building as part of the crime — you can burgle a house but not pick a pocket. Larceny is a formal legal term, used mainly in US law, and covers much the same ground as theft but often appears in court documents and statutes. In daily conversation, use theft for general situations, robbery when violence is involved, and burglary when a building was broken into.

theft ↗robbery ↗burglary ↗larceny

Common collocations

Prepositions

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

From Old English þēofþ, meaning 'the act of stealing,' derived from the Germanic root *theubitho. Related to thief (Old English þēof), which comes from the same ancient source. The word has kept the same core meaning for over a thousand years.