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Webster 1913 Edition

Theft

Theft

(thĕft)
,
Noun.
[OE.
thefte
, AS.
þiéfðe
,
þȳfðe
,
þeófðe
. See
Thief
.]
1.
(Law)
The act of stealing; specifically, the felonious taking and removing of personal property, with an intent to deprive the rightful owner of the same; larceny.
☞ To constitute theft there must be a taking without the owner’s consent, and it must be unlawful or felonious; every part of the property stolen must be removed, however slightly, from its former position; and it must be, at least momentarily, in the complete possession of the thief. See
Larceny
, and the Note under
Robbery
.
2.
The thing stolen.
[R.]
If the
theft
be certainly found in his hand alive, . . . he shall restore double.
Ex. xxii. 4.

Webster 1828 Edition

Theft

THEFT

,
Noun.
The act of stealing. In law, the private, unlawful, felonious taking of another person's goods or movables, with an intent to steal them. To constitute theft, the taking must be in private or without the owner's knowledge, and it must be unlawful or felonious, that is, it must be with a design to deprive the owner of his property privately and against his will. Theft differs from robbery, as the latter is a violent taking from the person, and of course not private.
1.
The thing stolen. Ex.22.

Definition 2024

theft

theft

English

Noun

theft ‎(plural thefts)

  1. The act of stealing property.

Translations

Derived terms

Related terms

See also

External links

Etymology

From Middle English thefte, thiefthe, theofthe, thiufthe, from Old English þīfþ, þȳfþ, þēoft, earlier þīefþ, þēofþ ‎(“act of thieving; theft”), from Proto-Germanic *þiubiþō, from *þeubaz ‎(“thief”), equivalent to thief +‎ -th or thieve +‎ -th. Cognate with Old Frisian thiuvethe, thiufthe ‎(“theft”), Old Norse þýfð, þýft, and (obsolete) Dutch diefte.

Pronunciation

  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /θɛft/
  • Rhymes: -ɛft

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