- theft
-
theft n [Old English thiefth]: larceny; broadly: a criminal taking of the property or services of another without consent◇ Theft commonly encompasses by statute a variety of forms of stealing formerly treated as distinct crimes.grand theft: theft of property or services whose value exceeds a specified amount or of a specified kind of property (as an automobile)◇ Grand theft is a felony.identity theft: the unauthorized use of another's means of identification (as name or social security number) for the purpose of commiting theft or another crimepetty theft: theft of property or services whose value is below a specified amount – called also petit theft;◇ Petty theft is a misdemeanor but may be aggravated by prior convictions.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
- theft
-
I
noun
burglary, embezzlement, felonious taking, filchery, fraudulent taking, furtum, larceny, looting, misappropriation, peculation, pilferage, pilfering, purloining, purloinment, robbery, stealing, swindling, thievery, wrongful taking
associated concepts: theft of services
foreign phrases:
- Contrectatio rei allenae animo furando, est furtum. — The touching or removing of another's property, with an intention of stealing, is theft.II index burglary, conversion (misappropriation), embezzlement, housebreaking, larceny, misappropriation, plunder, robbery, spoliation
Burton's Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006
- theft
-
in English law, now defined in statutory terms by the Theft Act 1968 as the dishonest appropriation of property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it. The law has however been complicated by semantic arguments, leading the Court of Appeal to say that the law is in urgent need of reform to make cases understandable to juries: R v . Hallam; R v . Blackburn [1994] TLR 306. Wheel-clamping is not theft in England (contrary to the position in Scotland) because there is not the intention to permanently deprive: Arthur and Another v. Anker [1995] TLR 632.In Scots criminal law, the felonious taking or appropriation of the property of another without his consent and (in most cases) with the intention to deprive him of it permanently. The felonious taking is sometimes known as amotio. It has been held that temporary deprivation is sufficient in some cases. A nefarious purpose in the taking may be enough. Wheel-clamping has been held to be theft, even although the vehicle is not moved by the clamper: Black v . Carmichael 1992 SLT 897.
Collins dictionary of law. W. J. Stewart. 2001.
- theft
-
The generic term for all crimes in which a person intentionally takes personal property of another without permission or consent and with the intent to convert it to the taker's use (including potential sale). In many states, when the value of the property taken is low (for example, less than $500) the crime is "petty theft" and a misdemeanor; but it is "grand theft" and a felony for larger amounts. Theft is synonymous with "larceny." Although robbery (taking by force), burglary (taking after entering unlawfully), and embezzlement (stealing from an employer) are all commonly thought of as theft, they are distinguished by the means and methods used, and are separately designated as specific types of crimes in criminal charges and statutory punishments. (See also: larceny, robbery, burglary, embezzlement)Category: Criminal LawCategory: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
- theft
-
n.1 Larceny; the unlawful expropriation of someone else's property with the intent of keeping it from its rightful owner.2 In its broadest sense, any example or act of stealing, which includes burglary, embezzlement, false pretenses, fraud, and larceny. While larceny is generally categorized as petty or grand depending on the value of the goods taken, theft is generally categorized by the type of property stolen.@ identity theftThe misappropriation of another's confidential and personal information such that the one taking such data can use such information to pass as the other by submission of credit documents, forging of identification cards, etc.@
Webster's New World Law Dictionary. Susan Ellis Wild. 2000.
- theft
-
A criminal act in which property belonging to another is taken without that person's consent.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
- theft
-
A criminal act in which property belonging to another is taken without that person's consent.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
- theft
-
n.the generic term for all crimes in which a person intentionally and fraudulently takes personal property of another without permission or consent and with the intent to convert it to the taker's use (including potential sale). In many states, if the value of the property taken is low (for example, less than $500) the crime is "petty theft," but it is "grand theft" for larger amounts, designated misdemeanor or felony, respectively. Theft is synonymous with "larceny." Although robbery (taking by force), burglary (taken by entering unlawfully) and embezzlement (stealing from an employer) are all commonly thought of as theft, they are distinguished by the means and methods used and are separately designated as those types of crimes in criminal charges and statutory punishments.
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.
