What does pilfering mean?
Pilfering means taking property without the owner's permission, most often by secretly stealing small or inexpensive objects. The word can suggest petty theft, such as taking cash, supplies, or merchandise, although it may also describe more extensive theft or plunder. In ordinary use, “pilfering” often carries a sense of stealth, opportunism, and repeated minor offending. It appears in legal, workplace, literary, and historical contexts, where it may describe theft as well as the unauthorized appropriation of public resources. The related noun “pilferer” denotes a person who steals, and the base verb “pilfer” is used in similar contexts. Although close to “stealing” in general meaning, “pilfering” often has the narrower implication of taking relatively small things, making it especially useful for describing acts of petty theft that might otherwise sound trivial.
verbTaking property without the owner's permission, especially by secretly stealing small items. It can also refer more generally to theft or plunder.
- Stealing property, especially small or inexpensive items, typically in a furtive manner.
- Taking or appropriating property more generally through theft or plunder.
"The employee was dismissed after pilfering merchandise from the warehouse."
"She was accused of pilfering cash from the office."
"The novel describes an army that entered the city and began pilfering everything of value."
Pilfering often suggests theft on a small scale, but the word can carry the full weight of stealing and unlawful taking.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of pilfering
The word entered English in Middle English in the forms “pilfer” and “pilfre,” probably through Old French pilfer, meaning to plunder or steal. Its ultimate origin is uncertain, though it may be connected to “pelf,” an older word for money or possessions, and hence to the related “pelfry.” The modern form “pilfering” is the present participle of “pilfer.”
Related word forms
How pilfering is actually used
The word often suggests repeated or opportunistic theft, especially of modest items, but it can be applied to more substantial theft. It is formal to neutral and commonly has a negative or accusatory tone.