Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for thievery

thievery

[ thee-vuh-ree ]

noun

, plural thiev·er·ies.
  1. the act or practice of thieving; theft.
  2. something taken by theft.


Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of thievery1

First recorded in 1560–70; thieve + -ery
Discover More

Example Sentences

The vice president has already established a precedent for campaign thievery.

There is no shortage of online reports on Lego thievery — with robbers smashing through glass storefront doors and stomping around toy shops in masks and dark hoodies.

That incident occurred at the start of the Fourth of July weekend, similar to the Easter thievery at the GardaWorld property.

Navalny said it was evidence of Vladimir Putin's "feudal" regime of patronage and thievery from the Russian people.

From BBC

“I sincerely hope you can stop this practice of thievery.”

Advertisement

Discover More

More About Thievery

What does thievery mean?

Thievery is the practice of thieving—stealing. Thieves lead a life of thievery.

The words thief and theft are often used in situations in which a person steals in secret and without using force or violence. However, the word thievery is used in the context of all kinds of thefts, even violent ones. Thieve and thievery often imply that such activity is habitual or part of a criminal lifestyle.

Example: He is a pirate, a rogue—he knows nothing but lies and thievery.

Where does thievery come from?

The first records of the word thievery comes from the 1560s. Its base word, the verb thieve, comes from the Old English thēofian. The suffix -ery is used to form nouns and indicates a practice or occupation.

A person who engages in thievery or has a tendency to thieve can be described as thievish or thieving, as in Come back here, you lying, thieving rapscallion! Thievery and related words like thieve and thieving can sometimes sound a bit old-timey, like they’re out of a classic adventure novel. But thievery is also applied to modern instances of theft.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to thievery?

What are some synonyms for thievery?

What are some words that share a root or word element with thievery

 

What are some words that often get used in discussing thievery?

How is thievery used in real life?

Thievery often implies that the person doing the thieving does so as part of leading a life of crime.

 

Try using thievery!

Which of the following actions could be considered a case of thievery?

A. shoplifting
B. pickpocketing
C. bank robbery
D. all of the above

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


thievethieving