thefttheft /θeft/ ●●○ noun 
Car theft is on the increase. an arrest for petty theft (=stealing small things) Three men were charged with attempted theft.► see thesaurus at crime2[countable] an act of stealing something: There have been a number of thefts in the area.theft of the theft of £150 from the officeCOLLOCATIONS– Meanings 1 & 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + theftattempted theft· He was charged with attempted theft.car theft British English, auto theft American English:· Northern Ireland had one of the highest levels of car theft in Europe.identity theft (=when someone steals your personal information and uses it to obtain goods or money)· Credit card companies and banks bear the financial loss, rather than the victim of the identity theft.petty theft (=the stealing of something that is not very valuable)· There had been a rash of petty thefts in the hotel.art theft· Robbers stole paintings worth £25 million in the French Riviera’s biggest art theft.verbscommit a theft· Detectives took us to the place where the theft had been committed.
WORD ORIGINtheft
Origin:
Old English thiefthEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- If your passport has been stolen, report the theft to your nearest embassy immediately.
- Most of the thefts occurred during the weekend.
- Police believe they have found the man responsible for a series of car thefts in the past year.
- Pushard was arrested and charged with auto theft.
- Security has been tightened since the theft of a $150,000 oil painting.
- The mayor is taking credit for decreases in theft since he took office.
- The rate of bicycle theft in this area is very high.
- This warehouse is not adequately protected against theft or vandalism.
- Davitt is serving a six-month jail sentence in the theft.
- Drink, assault and theft of a police car.
- During the next eight years Christie served a number of prison sentences for theft and, on one occasion, assault.
- However, while your policy is suspended we will still insure your car against loss or damage by fire or theft.
- In some places such thefts were relatively casual.
- Subsidence claims showed marked decline, but theft claims continue to rise.
- The vast majority were, for example, petty thefts, acts of vandalism, and minor assaults.
- These include theft and burglary, which involve questions of personal honesty.
THESAURUScrimes of stealing
noun [countable, uncountable] the crime of stealing from a bank, shop etc: · Over £100,000 was stolen in the robbery.· The gang carried out a string of daring robberies.
noun [countable, uncountable] the crime of breaking into someone’s home in order to steal things: · There have been several burglaries in our area.
noun [countable, uncountable] the crime of stealing something: · Car theft is a big problem.· thefts of credit cards
noun [uncountable] the crime of taking things from shops without paying for them: · They get money for drugs from shoplifting.
noun [countable, uncountable] the crime of getting money from people by tricking them: · He’s been charged with tax fraud.· credit card fraud
noun [uncountable] especially American English law the crime of stealing something: · He was found guilty of larceny.
noun [uncountable] the activity of tricking people into giving their personal details, bank numbers etc on the Internet, in order to steal money from them: · One in four computer users reports that they have been hit by phishing attempts.
the crime of stealing money or other things from a bank, shop etc, especially by using threats or violence: · Mobile phones are a common target in street robberies.· Armed robbery is a serious offence.
the crime of stealing something, especially when the person they are stolen from is not present: · Car thefts are on the increase.· Security has been tightened since the theft of a $150,000 oil painting.
the crime of entering a house or other building illegally and stealing things: · Most burglaries occur when a house or apartment is empty.· He was charged with burglary.
an occasion when someone breaks a door or window in order to enter a place and steal things: · The break-in was the eighth on our street this year.· There’s been a break-in at the newsagents.
a violent attack on someone in the street in order to rob them: · There have been a number of muggings outside downtown hotels.
an attack on a bank, shop etc, especially one in which the thieves use weapons: · The gang carried out an armed raid on a post office.
informal a carefully planned robbery of a bank: · The money from the bank job was quickly taken out of the country.
law the crime of stealing something from someone, without using force or threats. This word is used mainly in American English. It is now old-fashioned in British English: · He pleaded guilty in New York to nine counts of grand larceny (=stealing things that are worth a lot of money).· They were suspected of being involved in petty larceny (=stealing things that are not worth a lot of money).
Longman Language Activatorwhen someone steals something when someone enters a house or other building illegally and steals things: · Call the police -- there's been a burglary.· Most burglaries occur when a house or apartment is empty.
when someone steals money or other things from a bank, shop etc, especially by using threats or violence: · I took part in my first robbery when I was only thirteen years old.· In the first nine months of this year there were 9611 street robberies involving violence.robbery of: · Police claim to have found the gun used in this morning's robbery of a downtown convenience store.bank robbery: · The police are investigating a series of bank robberies.
when someone breaks a door or window in order to enter a place and steal things: · There was a break-in at the college last night -- they took all the computers.
also stick-up American informal when someone goes into a bank or shop with a gun and demands money: · A man was shot dead in a hold-up at a downtown bank.
formal when something is stolen: · If your passport has been stolen, report the theft to your nearest embassy immediately.theft of: · Security has been tightened since the theft of a $150,000 oil painting.car/bicycle etc thefts: · Police believe they have found the man responsible for a series of car thefts in the past year.
a violent attack on someone in the street in order to rob them: · There have been a number of muggings outside downtown hotels recently.
when someone goes into a bank or shop while it is open, and steals money or other things using threats or violence: · The police accused the woman of planning a huge armed bank raid in Scotland.raid on: · Detectives managed to catch the gunman who had taken three hostages in a raid on a jeweller's shop.carry out a raid: · Police have released a photo of a man they believe carried out a raid on a supermarket.
informal a crime that involves stealing: · Her boyfriend was put in prison after a bank job (=theft from a bank).inside job (=done by someone within the organization): · The police are convinced it was an inside job.
the crime of stealing · This warehouse is not adequately protected against theft or vandalism.· The mayor is taking credit for decreases in theft since he took office.car/luggage/bicycle etc theft · The rate of bicycle theft in this area is very high.
the crime of stealing money or other things from a bank, shop etc, especially by using threats or violence: · Perkins was given five years in prison for robbery with violence.· Robbery was believed to be the motive for the killing.armed robbery (=when robbers carry weapons): · He made two escape attempts while serving a sentence for armed robbery.
the crime of illegally entering a house, office etc and stealing things: · Foster had been in prison twice already for burglary.· Burglary, murder and rape are all on the increase.· If you live in an area where burglary is common, it may be worth investing in an alarm system.
the crime of taking things from shops without paying for them: · Shoplifting cost the major stores millions of dollars last year.
the crime of stealing money from the place where you work, especially over a long period of time: · Taylor left the country to escape charges of embezzlement.embezzlement of: · The judge sentenced Walker to five years in prison for embezzlement of state funds.
the crime of stealing a car and driving it very fast for fun: · Anyone found guilty of joyriding can now be sentenced for up to five years in prison.
the crime of stealing -- used especially in the American legal system: · Brook now faces probable jail after an indictment for larceny and income tax evasion.
WORD SETSabet, verbaccusation, nounaccuse, verbaffray, nounarson, nounassault, nounassault and battery, nounbackhander, nounbattery, nounbigamy, nounblack market, nounblack marketeer, nounbreak-in, nounbreaking and entering, nouncaper, nouncapital, adjectivecarjacking, nouncat burglar, nouncontract, nouncosh, nouncounterfeit, adjectivecounterfeit, verbcover, nouncrack, verbcriminal, adjectivecriminal, nouncriminal law, nouncriminal record, nouncriminology, nouncrook, nounculpable, adjectiveculprit, noundefamation, noundefraud, verbdelinquency, noundelinquent, adjectivedelinquent, noundesperado, noundisorderly, adjectivedrug baron, noundrug runner, nounDUI, nounembezzle, verbexpropriate, verbextort, verbeyewitness, nounfelon, nounfelony, nounfence, nounfiddle, nounfiddle, verbfiddler, nounfilch, verbfinger, verbfire-raising, nounfirst offender, nounflash, verbflasher, nounforge, verbforger, nounforgery, nounfoul play, nounframe, verbframe-up, nounfratricide, nounfraud, nounfreebooter, noungang, noungang-bang, noungang rape, noungangster, nounGBH, noungenocide, noungetaway, noungodfather, noungrand larceny, noungrass, noungrievous bodily harm, nounheist, nounhijack, verbhijack, nounhijacking, nounhit, nounhit-and-run, adjectivehit man, nounincriminate, verbindecent assault, nounindecent exposure, nouninfanticide, nounjob, nounjoyriding, nounjuvenile delinquent, nounkidnap, verblarceny, nounlibel, nounlibel, verblibellous, adjectivelow life, nounmafioso, nounmalpractice, nounmanslaughter, nounmassacre, nounmassacre, verbmatricide, nounmisappropriate, verbmisconduct, nounmisdeed, nounmisdemeanour, nounmobster, nounmoll, nounmug, verbmugshot, nounmurder, nounmurder, verbmurderer, nounmurderess, nounmuscleman, nounnark, nounnefarious, adjectiveneighbourhood watch, nounnick, verbno-go area, nounoffence, nounoffend, verboffender, nounold lag, nounorganized crime, nounoutlaw, nounparricide, nounpatricide, nounpetty larceny, nounPhotofit, nounpiracy, nounplant, verbpoach, verbpoacher, nounpossession, nounprivateer, nounprotection, nounprowl, verbprowler, nounpublic nuisance, nounpull, verbpunk, nounpurloin, verbraid, nounram-raiding, nounrape, verbrape, nounrapist, nounravish, verbreceiver, nounreceiving, nounrecidivist, nounregicide, nounring, nounringleader, nounriotous, adjectiverob, verbrobber, nounrobbery, nounroll, verbrustler, nounscheme, nounscheme, verbshady, adjectiveshoplift, verbshoplifting, nounslander, nounsmuggle, verbsnout, nounspeeding, nounstabbing, nounstalking, nounstatutory offence, nounstatutory rape, nounsteal, verbstoolpigeon, nounsupergrass, nounsuspect, nounswag, nountheft, nounthief, nounthievish, adjectivetorch, verbtraffic, nountrafficker, nountriad, noununder-the-counter, adjectiveunderworld, nounundesirable, nounvagrancy, nounvandal, nounvandalism, nounvandalize, verbvice, nounvigilante, nounvillainy, nounviolate, verbviolation, nounwanted, adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meanings 1 & 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + theft It is wise to insure your property against storm damage.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
1[uncountable] the crime of stealing: · He was charged with attempted theft.
British English, auto theft American English:· Northern Ireland had one of the highest levels of car theft in Europe.
(=when someone steals your personal information and uses it to obtain goods or money)· Credit card companies and banks bear the financial loss, rather than the victim of the identity theft.
(=the stealing of something that is not very valuable)· There had been a rash of petty thefts in the hotel.
· Robbers stole paintings worth £25 million in the French Riviera’s biggest art theft.
verbs· Detectives took us to the place where the theft had been committed.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES (=the crime of stealing another person's personal details in order to pretend to be that person)· Identity theft is becoming more and more common because of the Internet.
It is wise to insure your property against storm damage.· I got charged with that and the attempted theft.· Theft is excluded but this policy would cover damage caused by attempted theft. 3.· The charge should be attempted theft or obtaining a pecuniary advantage by deception.· Facts: pleaded guilty to theft and attempted theft.· Yesterday jobless James, 34, of Middlesbrough, was fined £100 by Teesside magistrates for attempted theft.
· After a review of the facts, it appeared to me that this was a grand theft person.· Among the categories dropped were battery, narcotics and weapons offenses, grand theft and indecent exposure.· After several years of investigations, the Boys Ranch was indicted on criminal Medicaid fraud and grand theft charges last April.· Police arrested Fotinos on suspicion of grand theft, possession of stolen property and embezzlement from a public entity, Beijen said.
· Black pleaded guilty to the theft and obtaining £85 by deception from Wagers bookmakers.· In October a jury at Winchester Crown Court found him guilty of theft, perjury and fraudulent trading.· For this reason the owner may be guilty of theft from the possessor or controller.· Their decision was that a person is guilty of theft when he acquires ownership by deception.· If an accused steals a cheque, he is guilty of theft of a piece of paper.· The victim has only an equitable interest, and the accused is not guilty of theft of the shares.· The accused may, however, be guilty of theft of the money or of obtaining the money by deception.· She was held to be guilty of theft.
· The vast majority were, for example, petty thefts, acts of vandalism, and minor assaults.· They had petty thefts of eggs or a chicken, but no robbery.· There had been a rash of petty thefts in the hotel and we were all warned to be vigilant.· My background is petty theft and liquor store holdups and the usual drug junk.· In contrast, petty theft has a very low rate of reporting to the police, and a low detection rate.· So, you see, even these minor distinctions felt like petty theft.· This will tend to incline them toward petty theft.· In the dry parlance of a police report, it was nothing more than a petty theft.
NOUN· In addition, art thefts are likely to be pursued by their rightful owners for well over twenty years.
· Last summer he was placed under a supervision order after being found guilty of burglary, armed robbery and car theft.· Cases dated to 1988, and involved car thefts, robberies and other non-homicide felonies.· In the past three months, there have been some 150 arrests in Oxford for car theft.· Members of the groups are suspected in crimes including car theft, drug dealing and killings.· For all of 1999, police registered 5,218 homicides, 33,685 battery cases and 40,940 robberies and car thefts.· This, therefore, is a quick fix Bill. Car theft is a matter of great public concern.· Equipment worth forty thousand pounds was stolen last year and car theft is once again a major problem.
· That left the theft charge on which Ward was cleared yesterday.· Peoples has been arrested numerous times since 1978 on drug and theft charges.
· Thus, such crimes as embezzlement and other examples of employee theft will not be included in this discussion of corporate crime.· If it is discovered, employee theft is one of the least stigmatised of crimes.
VERB· He admitted going equipped for theft, another burglary and asked for four similar offences to be taken into consideration.· Yesterday the girl, who can not be named, appeared before Darlington Juvenile Court where she admitted theft.
· He was arrested for theft on the same day as my godson, each in a different part of Brighton.· Rose has been arrested for theft, arson, and attempted murder.· In June 1989, 11 slum-dwelling children in Delhi were arrested on suspicion of theft and tortured.· Most youngsters are arrested for theft - 70 percent of those on Taylor House rehabilitation schemes - and persistent offending is declining.· He paid the lower price at the checkout but was then arrested and charged with theft.
· For example, knowing some one has been convicted of theft might influence one's reactions and attitudes to that person.· Police said Bokin has also been repeatedly convicted of theft, possession of stolen property and writing bad checks.· The appellant was charged with and convicted of the theft of the £6.· The Forbes article stated that Glushkov was convicted in 1982 of theft of state property.
· These include theft and burglary, which involve questions of personal honesty.· They include theft, adultery and fornication, wine drinking, highway banditry, apostasy to of the faith and rebellion.· And the same is true of theft, including theft of copyright.· Other crimes include the theft of several items left outside houses or in unlocked cars.
· House raid: Detectives are investigating the theft of a video recorder from a house in Millpool Close, Hartlepool.· In one of the worst nights on record, officers were called to investigate 20 separate thefts from cars.· Gates gone: Tyneside police are investigating a spate of thefts of wrought iron garden gates.· They direct traffic, investigate thefts and search for illegal weapons at roadblocks.· Detectives are investigating a spate of thefts from a new housing development in Derry.· The constable didn't inform Ulster detectives who were called in to investigate only a car theft.
· Darlington magistrates heard the 14-year-old was involved with thefts from three handbags while their owners worked in shops.· The majority of incidents-193-involved property theft.· More than half of all recorded crimes are car crimes, involving the theft of vehicles or the theft of property from vehicles.· Cases dated to 1988, and involved car thefts, robberies and other non-homicide felonies.· Two North-East men were jailed recently for a number of crimes involving horse theft, including that of Mrs James' animals.
· I reported the camera theft to the police, who seemed eager to help.· Campers and backpackers have reported thefts of food, sleeping bags and clothing from their coolers and tents, according to authorities.· In reality, Wilson had tightened up reporting procedures so that fewer thefts escaped the record due to carelessness, corruption, etc.· Always keep a copy of your card's emergency telephone number so you can report any theft immediately.· Last year there were 1,072,241 reported thefts of cars and from cars, and 464,400 domestic burglaries.· Could have stayed and reported the theft of his wallet to the police if he hadn't produced that revolver.· Karen reported the theft the police and the ranger, and spent hours driving around the roads looking for Tang.· Police said last night that two juveniles had been reported in connection with thefts.
Car theft is on the increase. an arrest for petty theft (=stealing small things) Three men were charged with attempted theft.► see thesaurus at crime2[countable] an act of stealing something: There have been a number of thefts in the area.theft of the theft of £150 from the officeCOLLOCATIONS– Meanings 1 & 2ADJECTIVES/NOUN + theftattempted theft· He was charged with attempted theft.car theft British English, auto theft American English:· Northern Ireland had one of the highest levels of car theft in Europe.identity theft (=when someone steals your personal information and uses it to obtain goods or money)· Credit card companies and banks bear the financial loss, rather than the victim of the identity theft.petty theft (=the stealing of something that is not very valuable)· There had been a rash of petty thefts in the hotel.art theft· Robbers stole paintings worth £25 million in the French Riviera’s biggest art theft.verbscommit a theft· Detectives took us to the place where the theft had been committed.