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
Assemblymember Kim has spent years investigating how those rules contributed to wage theft in home care. —
Christopher Marte, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026 Data from the city shows there are more assaults, car thefts, robberies and calls for gunshots in the neighborhood compared to the same time last year. —Beret Leone, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026 Around that same time, investigators were trying to unravel a possibly unrelated local smash-and-grab theft ring targeting Lego toys. —Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026 Burglary/Breaking & Entering – The unlawful entry into a building or some other structure to commit a felony or a theft. —Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for theft
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Christopher Marte, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026 Data from the city shows there are more assaults, car thefts, robberies and calls for gunshots in the neighborhood compared to the same time last year. —Beret Leone, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026 Around that same time, investigators were trying to unravel a possibly unrelated local smash-and-grab theft ring targeting Lego toys. —Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2026 Burglary/Breaking & Entering – The unlawful entry into a building or some other structure to commit a felony or a theft. —Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for theft
Cite this Entry
“Theft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/theft. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
theft
noun
: the act of stealing
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