larceny
n.n. the crime of stealing something. It is a more formal and slightly old-fashioned word for a theft.
n. the act of stealing; the crime of larceny. Often used in legal or literary contexts to distinguish a specific type of theft from more general crimes.
The thief was caught for the larceny of a rare painting.
The legal team argued that the defendant's actions constituted larceny rather than a more serious form of burglary.
While modern legal systems often use the term 'theft' for most property crimes, the term larceny remains a specific legal classification for the unlawful taking of property without the use of force or violence.
Coined in Middle English (as larceni) between 1425 and 1475 from Anglo-Norman larcin (“theft”), from Latin latrocinium (“robbery”), from latro (“robber, mercenary”), from Ancient Greek λάτρον (látron, “pay, hire”).