What does stolen mean?
“Stolen” is the past participle of “steal” and an adjective meaning taken without the owner's permission or unlawfully. It describes both the completed act and the resulting condition of an object: a person may discover that a car has been stolen, while a “stolen painting” refers to a work of art illegally taken from its owner. The word appears frequently in discussions of property crime, insurance claims, art theft, and identity theft. In reports from police or courts, it may carry a specifically legal meaning, distinguishing deliberate unlawful taking from accidental loss. Outside formal contexts, “stolen” can also be used figuratively, as in “stolen time” or “stolen glances,” where it suggests something taken without permission or outside the speaker's control. It is common in both British and American English and can modify a noun or stand alone as a predicate adjective.
Taken without the owner's permission or unlawfully.
"The police appealed for information about the stolen artwork."
Common before nouns and as a predicate adjective; frequently used in legal, insurance, and news contexts.
The past participle of “steal,” indicating that the taking has been completed.
"Her phone has been stolen."
Used with forms of “have” and “be”; “was stolen” is especially common in reports of criminal activity.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stolen come from?
The word derives from Old English “stelan,” meaning “to take away, steal, or carry off,” which was inherited from a Germanic root associated with theft. The Old English verb also had senses connected with moving or going stealthily. “Stolen” developed as its past participle and adjective form, while related words such as “theft,” “thief,” and “stealth” continue to reflect the same linguistic ancestry.
Related word forms
How stolen is actually used
“Stolen” normally appears before a noun or as a predicate adjective: “a stolen bicycle,” “the bicycle was stolen.” In formal legal and insurance contexts, “stolen” can distinguish property taken unlawfully from property merely lost.
Easily confused with stolen
“Stole” is the past tense of “steal” and the name of a traditional wrap or band, whereas “stolen” is the past participle and adjective.