thief

[theef]

noun

plural

thieves 

1. a person who steals, especially secretly or without open force; one guilty of theft or larceny.

   Synonyms: highwayman, pickpocket, burglar

thief

/ θiːf /

noun

1. a person who steals something from another

2. criminal law a person who commits theft

Other Word Forms

• underthief noun
• thievishness noun
• thievishly adverb
• thievish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of thief¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English thēof; cognate with Dutch dief, German Dieb, Old Norse thjōfr, Gothic thiufs

Word History and Origins

Origin of thief¹

Old English thēof; related to Old Frisian thiāf, Old Saxon thiof, Old High German diob, Old Norse thjōfr, Gothic thiufs

Synonym Study

Thief, robber refer to one who steals. A thief takes the goods or property of another by stealth without the latter's knowledge: like a thief in the night. A robber trespasses upon the house, property, or person of another, and makes away with things of value, even at the cost of violence: A robber held up two women on the street.

Example Sentences

In September thieves took raw gold – in its mineral state – from the Natural History Museum in Paris.

Read more on BBC

A ninth object -- the diamond- and emerald encrusted crown of the Empress Eugenie -- was recovered nearby, where it was dropped by the thieves as they fled, the statement added.

Read more on Barron's

French authorities are hunting four thieves for their brazen heist at the Louvre on Sunday that saw eight priceless and historical pieces of jewellery stolen, Paris's chief prosecutor said.

Read more on Barron's

The thieves are then said to have cut through glass panes with an angle grinder or chainsaw to gain access to the museum.

Read more on BBC

PARIS—A group of thieves sawed through a window in a gilded gallery at the Louvre Museum on Sunday morning, making off via motorcycle with a set of priceless royal jewels, French officials said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bandit 
• burglar 
• criminal 
• crook 
• mugger 
• pickpocket 
• pirate 
• robber 
• sniper 
• swindler 

When To Use

What does thief mean?

A thief is a person who steals, especially in secret and without using force or violence.The plural of thief is thieves. The related noun theft refers to the act or an instance of stealing.In general, intentionally taking something that doesn’t belong to you makes you a thief. The word most commonly refers to a person who steals money or physical property, but a thief can steal other things, such as ideas, information, or intellectual property.The word thief typically refers to a person who steals without anyone noticing, at least not when the theft is taking place. In contrast, a person who steals by using force, violence, or threats of force or violence would more likely be called a robber. Still, the word thief is used generally to refer to someone who steals. In this way, a robber is a kind of thief.Most instances of theft are crimes, but a person might still be called a thief if they’ve committed a theft that won’t get them arrested. You might call your sibling a thief when they steal a cookie from your plate, for example.Example: I don’t care that he only stole a few things—he stole them, and that makes him a thief.