larceny
C1Formal, legal, journalistic.
Definition
Meaning
the crime of stealing personal property.
The formal legal term for theft, often subdivided into categories (e.g., grand larceny, petit/petty larceny) based on the value of the stolen property. It implies a dishonest taking of someone else's movable possessions with the intent to permanently deprive the owner.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a countable noun in legal contexts ('three counts of larceny'), but can be uncountable. It is a hypernym for specific theft crimes. The word has a formal, technical ring and is less common in everyday speech than 'theft' or 'stealing'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In modern UK legal terminology, 'larceny' was largely replaced by 'theft' in the Theft Act 1968, though it survives in historical contexts and some Commonwealth jurisdictions. In the US, 'larceny' remains a core, active term in criminal law, statutorily defined by most states.
Connotations
In the UK, it sounds somewhat archaic or specifically legal-historical. In the US, it is a standard, contemporary legal term.
Frequency
Significantly more frequent in American English, especially in legal and news reporting contexts. Rare in everyday British English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Person/Entity] committed larceny.[Person] was convicted of larceny.The charge was larceny.Larceny of [item].Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Grand larceny of the heart (humorous, for romantic conquest).”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in legal/compliance reports: 'The employee was dismissed for larceny of company equipment.'
Academic
Used in legal, criminology, and historical studies: 'The paper traces the evolution of larceny statutes from common law.'
Everyday
Uncommon; 'theft' is preferred. Might be used for dramatic effect: 'Taking the last biscuit? That's sheer larceny!'
Technical
Core term in US criminal law and some Commonwealth legal history, with precise statutory definitions distinguishing it from robbery, burglary, etc.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The old statute defined how to prosecute someone for larcenying goods. (archaic/legal)
American English
- The defendant is accused of larcenying merchandise from the store. (legal)
adverb
British English
- He looked larcenously at the unattended wallet. (very rare, literary)
American English
- The statute deals with acts done larcenously. (legal, rare)
adjective
British English
- He had a larcenous intent when he entered the property. (formal)
American English
- The prosecutor outlined his larcenous scheme to the jury.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The man was arrested for larceny after stealing a bicycle.
- Petty larceny involves items of low value.
- The journalist reported a spike in grand larceny cases in the city centre.
- Under the old law, larceny required the 'carrying away' of the property.
- The defence attorney argued that the evidence was insufficient to prove the specific intent required for larceny.
- Historical analyses show that the definition of larceny expanded to cover new forms of property.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a LARceNy cat stealing jewellery – it's a 'large' crime of taking 'any' property.
Conceptual Metaphor
CRIME IS A TAKING/TRANSFER (of property).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не переводить как "грабёж" (robbery, involving force/threat).
- Ближе к "кража", "воровство" (тайное хищение).
- Избегать "хищение" как слишком широкий административный/экономический термин.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'larceny' to mean robbery with violence (it doesn't).
- Using it in everyday UK conversation where 'theft' is natural.
- Misspelling as 'larcency'.
Practice
Quiz
In which variety of English is 'larceny' most likely to be used in contemporary legal contexts?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Larceny/theft is the unlawful taking of property without force or threat. Robbery involves taking property directly from a person through force or the threat of force.
The specific crime of 'larceny' was abolished in England and Wales by the Theft Act 1968 and replaced with the broader offence of 'theft'. The term survives in historical and some Commonwealth legal contexts.
It's a category of larceny (theft) involving property above a specific, legally defined value. It is a more serious felony than 'petty' or 'petit' larceny.
Yes, though it's stylistic. E.g., 'His performance was intellectual larceny, borrowing heavily from older philosophers.' It adds a formal or dramatic flair compared to 'theft'.
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