Word
Definition
n. the act of stealing something that belongs to someone else. It is the general word for taking property without permission.
n. the act or instance of dishonestly taking property belonging to another person with the intention of permanently depriving them of it.
Examples
“The store reported the theft of several expensive watches.”
“Police are investigating the theft of a laptop from the office during the lunch break.”
“Identity theft has become a significant concern in the digital age as criminals exploit personal data to gain unauthorised access to financial accounts.”
Examples
simple
“The store reported the theft of several expensive watches.”
contextual
“Police are investigating the theft of a laptop from the office during the lunch break.”
complex
“Identity theft has become a significant concern in the digital age as criminals exploit personal data to gain unauthorised access to financial accounts.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “theft” in context.
Verb
01. commit a theft
“The suspect was caught on camera trying to commit a theft at the local jewelry store.”
verb + noun
02. investigate a theft
“Detectives are currently investigating a theft that occurred during the music festival.”
verb + noun
03. report a theft to the police
“You should immediately report the theft to the police to get a crime reference number.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
Adjective
04. brazen theft
“The brazen theft took place in broad daylight while dozens of witnesses were watching.”
adj + noun
05. petty theft
“He was charged with petty theft after stealing a few bars of chocolate from the shop.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. identity theft
“Victims of identity theft often spend months trying to restore their credit ratings.”
noun + noun
07. theft of property
“The new law introduces harsher penalties for the theft of private property.”
noun + of + noun
Preposition
08. convicted of theft
“She was convicted of theft and sentenced to six months of community service.”
prep + noun
09. theft of marked
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the crime in general; countable when referring to a specific instance or event.
Pitfall
He committed a theft of my car.
He stole my car.
While 'theft' is the name of the crime, learners often use it awkwardly in place of the verb 'steal' or 'rob' when describing an action.
Real-World Examples
“Lilli Hollein, MAK general director, said "the theft of a highly valuable piece of jewellery...” “The museum's director Marisa Mercurio said the theft was thought to have occurred around 21:50 local time (19:50 GMT) on Saturday.” 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 + -t (abstract nominal suffix). Cognate with Old Frisian thiuvethe, thiufthe (“theft”), dialectal Dutch diefte (“theft”), obsolete German Diebde (“theft”), Icelandic þýfð (“theft”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/theft
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0