Criminal law |
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Inchoate offenses |
Offense against the person |
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Sexual offenses |
Crimes against property |
Crimes against justice |
Crimes against the public |
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Crimes against animals |
Crimes against the state |
Defenses to liability |
Other common-law areas |
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Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it.[1][2][3] The word theft is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as larceny, robbery,[1] embezzlement, extortion, blackmail, or receiving stolen property.[2] In some jurisdictions, theft is considered to be synonymous with larceny,[4][5] while in others, theft is defined more narrowly.[6] A person who engages in theft is known as a thief (pl. thieves).[7]
Theft is the name of a statutory offence in California, Canada, England and Wales, Hong Kong,[8] Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland,[9] and the Australian states of South Australia[10] and Victoria.[11]