Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word theft is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as larceny, robbery, embezzlement, extortion, blackmail, or receiving stolen property. In some jurisdictions, theft is considered to be synonymous with larceny, while in others, theft is defined more narrowly. A person who engages in theft is known as a thief.
The Cunning Thief by Paul-Charles Chocarne-Moreau, depicting a thief about to steal a baked good
The Robbers Stone, West Lavington, Wiltshire. This memorial warns against thieving by recording the fate of several who attempted highway robbery on the spot in 1839.
Two young waifs steal a fine pair of boots.
Bicycles can occasionally be stolen, even when locked up, by removing the wheel or cutting the lock that holds them.
Larceny is a crime involving the unlawful taking or theft of the personal property of another person or business. It was an offence under the common law of England and became an offence in jurisdictions which incorporated the common law of England into their own law, where in many cases it remains in force.
Chart indicating the distribution of forms of larceny in the United States, according to the 2004 Uniform Crime Report.
