Meaning & use
petty theft
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountablelegal
The crime of stealing something of low value, such as a small item from a shop.
Grammar: Usually uncountable: he was arrested for petty theft.
Patterns
- arrested for petty theft
- convicted of petty theft
- charged with petty theft
He was fined for petty theft after taking a sandwich from the store.
The town has seen a rise in petty theft from parked cars.
Petty theft is usually punished less severely than burglary.
Common combinations
- charged with petty theft
- The teenager was charged with petty theft.
- convicted of petty theft
- He was convicted of petty theft last spring.
- petty theft and vandalism
- Residents complained about petty theft and vandalism.
- commit petty theft
- People sometimes commit petty theft out of desperation.
- a petty theft charge
- A petty theft charge can stay on a record for years.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shoplifting
- Shoplifting is stealing from a shop only, while petty theft covers any low-value stealing.
- minor theft
- Minor theft is a plain description and less common as a legal term.
- larceny
- Larceny is the broader legal term for theft and not limited to small amounts.
- pilfering
- Pilfering suggests repeatedly stealing small items, often at work, while petty theft names the crime.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: petty theft or robbery? petty theft or burglary?
petty theft vs robbery
Robbery involves force or threat against a person, while petty theft does not.
petty theft vs burglary
Burglary means breaking into a building to steal, which is more serious than petty theft.
Practice
A man who takes a pack of gum from a store without paying would most likely be charged with ____.
Choose one answer.
Petty theft is stealing something of small value. Armed robbery involves force, and burglary involves breaking into a building.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “petty theft”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.