What does pilferage mean?
Pilferage is the theft of property, usually in small quantities or in a furtive way. As a noun, it can denote the activity itself, as in reports of employee pilferage or petty pilferage, or refer more broadly to systematic stealing from an organization or its customers. As a verb, pilferage means to steal, though the related verb pilfer is more usual in modern English. The term has a formal, somewhat old-fashioned quality and can suggest opportunistic or repeated theft rather than a dramatic robbery. It is especially common in legal, retail, workplace, and institutional contexts, where investigators use it to describe unexplained losses of goods, money, or supplies. Although pilferage is sometimes used loosely for any theft, its connotations most strongly emphasize taking items covertly, often in comparatively small amounts.
The act of stealing property, especially small items or property kept in someone else's care.
"Internal controls were introduced to reduce pilferage from the warehouse."
Formal; often implies repeated or opportunistic theft.
To steal or take property, especially covertly or in small amounts.
"The cashier was accused of pilfering cash from the register."
Less common than "steal" and usually more formal or euphemistic in tone.
Plural is possible but uncommon; the uncountable form is generally preferred.
"The reports documented several isolated pilferages during the busy season."
Pilferage is the discreet theft of small treasures, but its name preserves an older word for loot: pelf.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pilferage come from?
The word comes from Middle English pilfre, meaning to steal, which was borrowed from Anglo-French pelfrer, a thief. That French word was related to pelf, an Old English term for booty or stolen property. In English, the suffix -age was later added to pilfer, producing both the noun pilferage and the less common verb.
Related word forms
How pilferage is actually used
The noun is formal and often suggests repeated or relatively small thefts, although it can refer to theft in general. The verb is less common in everyday speech than "steal" and may sound formal, archaic, or deliberately euphemistic. The word can have a legal or institutional tone, particularly in references to employee theft, retail losses, or theft from an organization.