noun
larceny
LAH-suhn-ee
noun
1
The crime of unlawfully taking someone else's property with the intent to keep it permanently.
"He was charged with grand larceny after stealing the car."
"Petty larceny usually involves items of relatively low value."
How to Use Larceny
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA legal term for theft — taking someone's property without permission and meaning to keep it.
When to use it
Mainly used in legal and news contexts rather than everyday speech, where "theft" or "stealing" is more common.
Common pairings
grand larceny
petty larceny
charged with larceny
Word Forms
larcenies plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “larceny”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
He was charged with grand _____ after stealing the car.
Etymology
From Anglo-Norman larcin ("theft"), ultimately from Latin latro, "robber" or "mercenary."