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
Christopher Mashburn, 44, 200 block of Park Lane, Sauk Village, turned himself in Feb. 14 to face a charge of online theft by deception, police said.
—
Dennis Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025
Out-of-state beekeepers may bear additional risk of theft, partially because of the distance.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacramento Bee, 18 Feb. 2025
Chico was inside the vehicle at the time of the theft.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 18 Feb. 2025
The victim of the theft had attached an AirTag to the scooter, which made a noise when the officer used the victim’s device to signal the tracker.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2025
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.
Dennis Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025
Out-of-state beekeepers may bear additional risk of theft, partially because of the distance.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacramento Bee, 18 Feb. 2025
Chico was inside the vehicle at the time of the theft.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 18 Feb. 2025
The victim of the theft had attached an AirTag to the scooter, which made a noise when the officer used the victim’s device to signal the tracker.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for theft
Cite this Entry
“Theft.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/theft. Accessed 2 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
theft
noun
: the act of stealing
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share