Legal Definitions - thieve

Thieve (verb)

To thieve means to commit the act of stealing; it is the unlawful taking of another person's property with the intention of permanently depriving the owner of it. This action encompasses various forms of theft, from petty larceny to grand larceny, and focuses on the perpetrator's conduct in acquiring property without legal right or permission.

Here are some examples illustrating the term:

• Example 1: Retail Shoplifting

  During a busy afternoon, a customer discreetly slips a designer watch from a display case into their bag and exits the store without paying. This individual's action is an act of thieving because they unlawfully took merchandise belonging to the store with the clear intent to keep it without purchase, thereby depriving the retailer of its property and its value.

• Example 2: Workplace Embezzlement

  A bookkeeper, entrusted with managing company funds, regularly transfers small sums of money from the business's operating account into their personal bank account over several months. This behavior constitutes thieving because the bookkeeper is unlawfully taking money that belongs to the company, intending to permanently keep it for personal gain and depriving the business of those funds.

• Example 3: Residential Burglary

  Someone breaks into an unoccupied house and removes several pieces of electronic equipment and jewelry. The act of taking these items from the home without permission, with the intent to sell them or keep them, is an act of thieving. The person unlawfully acquired property belonging to the homeowner, intending to permanently deprive the owner of their possessions.