Larceny is a legalrelated to the law or to official rules and courts word for taking someone else’s property without permissionallowed approval from the owner or authority to do something. It is most often used in law or formal writing, rather than in everyday conversationinformal talk between people.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-13. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˈlɑrsəni/
Easy pronunciation: LAR-suh-nee (approximate spelling).
Stress: Primary stress on the first syllable.
Meaning: theft; the unlawful taking of someone else’s property.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-13. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Larceny Meaning
theft; taking something that does not belong to you
Part of speech: noun
Definition: the unlawful taking of someone else’s property
Example: The suspect was charged with larceny after the store reported the missing goods.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- theft — The closest general synonym for the same act of unlawful taking.
- stealing — Common, everyday word for taking something illegally.
- thievery — A close synonym, though a little more informal or broad in tone.
- thieving — Can work in some contexts, but is less common as a direct noun synonym.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-13. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Larceny Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- theft
- stealing
- thievery
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-13. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Using larceny for any kind of loss or missing property, even when no stealing is involved.
- Confusing larceny with robbery: robbery involves taking property by force or threat.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-13. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does larceny mean?
Larceny means the unlawful taking of someone else’s property. It is a formal or legal term for theft.
What are the best synonyms for larceny?
The best common synonyms are theft and stealing. Thievery is also close, though slightly less direct.
Is larceny the same as robbery?
Not exactly. Larceny is taking property unlawfully, usually without force, while robbery involves force or threats.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-13. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.