theftthe act of stealing; unlawfully taking and carrying away the property of another; larcenyNot to be confused with:burglary ? breaking and entering a building with intent to stealrobbery ? taking the property of a person in his or her presence by violence or intimidationplunder ? to rob by open force, as in war; to take wrongfully as by pillage or fraudAbused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embreetheft (th?ft)n.1. a. The unlawful taking of the property of another; larceny: the prevention of theft.b. An instance of such taking: several car thefts.2. Obsolete Something stolen.[Middle English, from Old English th?efth.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.theft (??ft) n1. (Law) criminal law the dishonest taking of property belonging to another person with the intention of depriving the owner permanently of its possession2. rare something stolen[Old English th?ofth; related to Old Norse th?fth, Old Frisian thi?vethe, Middle Dutch düfte; see thief] ?theftless adjCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014theft (??ft) n. 1. the act of stealing; larceny. 2. an instance of this. [before 900; Middle English; Old English th?fth, th?ofth; see thief, -th1] Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.TheftSee also crime. abactionthe stealing of whole herds of cattle, as contrasted with a few head. ? abactor, n.asportationunlawful removal of goods from where they are deposited or stored.banditrythe practice of being a bandit.bibliokleptomania1. a kleptomania specializing in books.2. the motivations of a biblioklept. ? bibliokleptomaniac, n.brigandismthe practice of pillage, often destructive, usually practiced by a band of robbers. Also brigandage. ? brigand, n. ? brigandish, adj.dacoitymurder and robbery committed by dacoits, a class of criminals in India and Burma.despoliationa despoiling; an act of robbery on a large scale; pillage.direptionObsolete, pillage; the act of plundering.embezzlementthe misappropriation of funds that have been entrusted to one for care or management. Also called peculation. ? embezzler, n.excoriationObsolete, the act of stripping of possessions wrongfully and by force; spoliation or robbery.harpaxophobiaan abnormal fear of robbers.kleptomania, cleptomaniaPsychology. an irresistible impulse to steal, especially when the thief can afford to pay. ? kleptomaniac, n.kleptophobia, cleptophobiaan abnormal fear of thieves or of loss through thievery.ladronism1. SW. U.S. an act of thievery.2. Scots Dialect, blackguardism and roguery. ? ladrone, ladron, n.peculationembezzlement. ? peculator, n.pilferage1. petty stealing or pilfering.2. the articles stolen in pilfering.pillage1. the act of plundering or large scale robbery, usually accompanied by violence as in wartime.2. plundered property; booty.piracythe act of robbery on the high seas. See also ships. ? pirate, n. ? piratic, piratical, adj.plagiarism1. the verbatim copying or imitation of the language, ideas, or thoughts of another author and representing them as one?s own original work.2. the material so appropriated. Also plagiary. ? plagiarist, n. ? plagiaristic, adj.predationthe act or process of pillaging or plundering.rapacitythe state or quality of being excessively greedy or given to theft. ? rapacious, adj.rapinethe act of pillage or plundering.spoliationthe process of robbing or plundering, especially in time of war and on a large scale. See also church; ships.thievery1. the act or practice of stealing or thieving.2. Rare. the property stolen.-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.