thief

noun

plural thieves ˈthēvz How to pronounce thief (audio)
Synonyms of thiefnext
: one that steals especially stealthily or secretly
also : one who commits theft or larceny

Examples of thief in a Sentence

A thief took my purse. a thief has been stealing wallets and valuables from the lockers at the gym
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sales tags were all that were left behind after the thieves targeted a shop in Sykesville. Ashley Paul, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2026 Carla says her parents had no idea who might be behind the robberies and were surprised the thieves had ignored the millions of dollars’ worth of paintings. Jennifer Cannon, Vanity Fair, 7 Apr. 2026 Katzin, who studies maritime civilizations, suspected the group were antiquities thieves. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026 The thieves are still at large. Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for thief

Word History

Etymology

Middle English theef, from Old English thēof; akin to Old High German diob thief

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of thief was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Thief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thief. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

thief

noun
plural thieves ˈthēvz How to pronounce thief (audio)
: one that steals

Legal Definition

thief

noun
plural thieves
: one who commits theft
Etymology

Old English thēof

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