larceny

American  

[lahr-suh-nee] / ˈlɑr sə ni /

noun

Law.

PLURAL

larcenies

1. the wrongful taking of someone's property or goods, removing them from their owner's posession with intent to convert them to the taker's own use.

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larceny British  

/ ˈlɑːsɪnɪ /

noun

1. law (formerly) a technical word for theft

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larceny Cultural  

1. Theft; taking another person's property with the intent of permanently depriving the owner.

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Other Word Forms

• larcenist noun
• larcenous adjective
• larcenously adverb

Etymology

Origin of larceny

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English larceni, from Anglo-French larcin “theft,” from Latin latrōcinium “robbery” (equivalent to latrōcin(ārī) “to rob,” originally “serve as mercenary soldier” (derivative of latrō “hired soldier, robber”) + -ium -ium ) + -y ³

Compare meaning

How does larceny compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• larceny vs. robbery
• larceny vs. grand larceny
• theft vs. larceny

Example Sentences

The fraud and larceny charges against him are an embarrassment for Saks, one of the last remaining luxury department stores, which has been struggling with financial issues.

From The Wall Street Journal

Brentford were superior in every aspect, and had Liverpool somehow rescued a point it would have been grand larceny.

From BBC

Property crimes including burglary, motor vehicle theft and larceny also are trending down, according to city data.

From Los Angeles Times

Can the places Jackson visited for his book endure public larceny?

From Los Angeles Times

The bill would require immigration agents to take into custody people who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny or shoplifting.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• burglary
• misappropriation
• robbery