Definition

Noun: A person who steals, especially in small quantities or items of relatively low value, typically without using force or violence. A pilferer engages in petty theft, often in a sneaky or opportunistic manner.

Usage

The word "pilferer" is a formal or descriptive term for a petty thief. It is used to specify the nature of the theft as minor, furtive, and non-confrontational. It often carries a connotation of repeated, small-scale stealing.

Examples

• The store installed cameras to catch the pilferer who had been taking candy bars.
• He was not a dangerous criminal, just a common pilferer who stole office supplies.
• The company dismissed the employee after discovering he was a pilferer of petty cash.

Advanced Usage

• "Chronic pilferer": Describes someone who steals small items habitually.
  • The security guard was familiar with the chronic pilferer who frequented the market.
• "Petty pilferer": Emphasizes the insignificance of the stolen goods, though "pilferer" already implies this.
  • The court showed leniency to the petty pilferer, given the trivial nature of the stolen items.

Variants and Related Words

• Pilfer (verb): To steal (typically things of little value) in small quantities.
  • He was accused of pilfering stamps from the mailroom.
• Pilferage (noun): The action of stealing items of little value, or the items stolen in this way.
  • The company's losses were due more to pilferage than to large-scale theft.

Synonyms

• Petty thief: A thief who steals items of small value.
• Snitcher (informal): Someone who steals something small or inconspicuous.
• Shoplifter: A person who steals goods from a store while pretending to shop. (This is a specific, common type of pilferer.)
• Filer (archaic): An old term for a pickpocket or petty thief.

Antonyms

• Robber: A thief who steals using force, threat, or intimidation.
• Burglar: A thief who enters a building illegally to steal.

Related Phrases

• "To have sticky fingers" (idiom): To have a tendency to steal, especially small things.
  • Be careful with your wallet around him; he's known to have sticky fingers. (This describes a pilferer.)

Noun

1. a thief who steals without using violence