(in many US states and formerly in Britain) theft of personal property having a value less than a legally specified amount.
Example sentencesExamples
- Prophitt was charged with felonious assault and petty larceny.
- Backster admits that he committed a bit of petty larceny in the name of science: he went to another office, went into a secretary's desk drawer and retrieved some matches.
- Venial sins were the small-time stuff: white lies and petty larceny, like talking back and stealing candy.
- Arrest records confirmed popular charges that petty larceny was ‘a boy's crime.’
- You truly were going to send her to prison and bother me with putting this young lady on trial for a petty larceny?