Definition of THEFT

theft

Plural: thefts

Noun

  • The act or crime of stealing something.
  • the act of taking something from someone unlawfully
  • The act of stealing property.

Examples

  • A suspect was arrested for the theft of a gold necklace.
  • Bike theft is on the rise.
  • Leaving the triple word score open felt like a THEFT, as his opponent swooped in for a massive gain in Scrabble.
  • resource theft

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English theft, thefte, þefte, þefþe, þiefþe, Old English þīefþ, from Proto-West Germanic *þiubiþu, from Proto-Germanic *þiubiþō, from *þeubaz (“thief”), equivalent to thief or thieve + -th (abstract nominal suffix). Cognate with Old Frisian thiuvethe, thiufthe (“theft”), dialectal Dutch diefte (“theft”), obsolete German Diebde (“theft”), Icelandic þýfð (“theft”).

Synonyms

larceny, stealing, thievery, thieving, bargain, burglary, five-finger discount, give-away, heist, manifest destiny, midnight requisition, moonlight requisition, pinching, robbery, steal, theft

Scrabble Score: 11

theft: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
theft: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
theft: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 10

theft: valid Words With Friends Word