Definition

1. Noun:
   • The act of stealing; theft: The unlawful taking of someone else's property without their consent and with the intent to permanently deprive them of it.

Usage

• Thievery is an uncountable noun used to describe the general act or practice of stealing. It is a formal or literary synonym for "theft."
• It is often used to emphasize the criminal nature of the act or to describe a pattern of stealing.

Examples

• The store installed new security cameras to deter thievery.
• The novel explores a world where thievery is a common means of survival.
• He was arrested and charged with thievery.

Advanced Usage

• "Petty thievery": Refers to the act of stealing items of relatively low value.
  • The neighborhood has seen an increase in petty thievery, like stolen packages from doorsteps.
• Used in a broader, sometimes metaphorical sense to criticize unfair or dishonest acquisition.
  • The politician accused his opponents of intellectual thievery, claiming they stole his policy ideas.

Variants and Related Words

• Thief (n): A person who commits theft.
  • The thief was caught on camera.
• Thieve (v): To steal; to commit theft. (Less common)
  • He was accused of thieving from the cash register.
• Thievish (adj): Having the character or habits of a thief; inclined to steal.
  • He gave her a thievish glance, eyeing her wallet.

Synonyms

• Theft: The generic and most common term.
• Larceny: A formal legal term for theft.
• Robbery: Theft involving force or threat of force (a more specific type of theft).
• Pilfering: Stealing items of little value, often in small quantities.

Antonyms

• Honesty: The quality of being truthful and fair.
• Restitution: The act of restoring something that was stolen to its owner.

Idioms and Phrases

• While there are no common idioms using the exact word "thievery," the concept is central to many idioms about stealing, such as "light-fingered" (prone to stealing) or "five-finger discount" (a euphemism for shoplifting).

Noun

1. the act of taking something from someone unlawfully
   • the thieving is awful at Kennedy International