Okuzeka
Criminal Law & Justice vocabulary · Crimes & Offences

Theft

Meaning in criminal law & justice, with examples

/θeft/nounCore term

In criminal law & justice, theft means: The crime of taking someone else's property without permission and with the intention of keeping it.

In Turkish: hırsızlık

How it is used

A general word in law and the news: 'car theft', 'identity theft', 'theft from a shop'. The person is a 'thief' and the verb is 'steal' (stole, stolen). Police also speak of 'reports of theft' and 'theft offences'.

Example sentences

  1. Reports of bicycle theft doubled over the summer.

  2. He admitted the theft of two laptops from his former employer.

  3. Identity theft often begins with a fake email.

Common collocations

  • car theft
  • identity theft
  • petty theft
  • report a theft
  • charged with theft
  • robberyThe crime of stealing from a person or place by using force or the threat of force.
  • burglaryThe crime of entering a building without permission in order to steal or commit another crime inside.
  • fraudThe crime of deceiving people, for example with false information or fake documents, in order to get money, property or another advantage.
  • offenceA formal word for an illegal act that the law punishes, from minor ones such as speeding to serious ones such as robbery.

More terms: Crimes & Offences

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.