What does larceny mean?
Larceny means theft, especially the taking of property belonging to someone else. The word is formal and occurs frequently in legal proceedings, historical writing, and descriptions of crime. In modern American law, it can serve as a general synonym for theft or refer to statutory offenses divided according to the value of the property involved, as in “petty larceny” and “grand larceny.” Definitions and thresholds vary across jurisdictions, so the term’s precise legal application depends on the relevant law. Outside law, larceny is often used when the circumstances of the theft merit special attention, perhaps because it was ingenious, unexpected, or tied to a narrative. Compared with the broader “theft,” larceny has a more traditional and sometimes more dramatic tone. It comes from Latin latro, meaning “thief,” and preserves the sense of taking property that belongs to another.
nounThe criminal act of stealing or taking someone else's property. In legal contexts, it may refer broadly to theft or to a statutory category of theft involving property of a specified value.
- The act of stealing or taking another person's property.
- A legal category of theft, especially one involving property taken by stealth or without the owner's consent.
"The accused was charged with larceny after taking merchandise from the store."
"Investigators discovered that the missing records had been taken through larceny."
"The historical novel describes how one act of larceny brought the entire family under suspicion."
Used when referring to separate instances of theft.
"The archive records several larcenies that occurred during the war."
Larceny reaches back to Latin latro, meaning “thief,” through Old French: the word records one of humanity’s oldest ideas in surprisingly direct language.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does larceny come from?
The word entered English through Old French larcin, meaning “theft,” from Latin latro, a thief or robber. English developed the noun larceny in the Middle English period, with the modern spelling established later. The same Latin root also underlies larcenous, while the now uncommon noun latron continued the older sense of a robber or bandit.
Related word forms
How larceny is actually used
Larceny is formal and especially common in legal, historical, and literary contexts. In modern American legal usage, “grand larceny” and “petty larceny” are classifications based chiefly on the value of the property stolen; exact thresholds and terminology vary by jurisdiction.
Easily confused with larceny
Larceny is the noun naming the act of theft, while larcenous is an adjective describing a person or thing inclined to steal.