theft
//θɛft//
Forms
- Plural
- thefts
Definitions
1.The act of stealing property.
- A suspect was arrested for the theft of a gold necklace.
- Bike theft is on the rise.
Frequency
Overall
Rare· #4787
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Rare
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Related words
Word family
Etymology
From Middle English theft, thefte, þefte, þefþe, þiefþe, Old English þīefþ, from Proto-West Germanic *þiubiþu, from Proto-Germanic *þiubiþō, from *þeubaz (“thief”), equivalent to thief or thieve + -t (abstract nominal suffix).