theft
n. C / Un. 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.
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.
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”).
Uncountable when referring to the crime in general; countable when referring to a specific instance or event.
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.