# stolen

/ˈstoʊɫən/ (US) · /stˈəʊlən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/stolen
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. past participle of steal

verb · CEFR A2

the form of 'steal' used after 'have' or 'be'.

For teachers: the past participle of the irregular verb 'steal', used to form the perfect tenses and the passive voice.

- The police discovered that the car had been stolen two days ago.
- By the time the museum staff arrived for their morning shift, the most valuable painting in the collection had already been stolen.

Usage: Requires an auxiliary verb like 'have' or 'be' when used as a verb.

### 2. taken illegally

adjective · CEFR A2

describes something that was taken without the owner's permission.

For teachers: referring to property or items that have been taken unlawfully from the rightful owner.

- He was arrested for trying to sell a stolen laptop at the market.
- The authorities worked tirelessly to track the stolen artifacts across international borders before they could be sold to private collectors.

## Examples

- The police found the stolen car in a nearby town.
- She realized her wallet was stolen only after she reached the checkout counter and couldn't find it.
- The museum curator confirmed that several priceless artifacts had been stolen during the night, despite the presence of advanced motion sensors and security guards.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.