noun

• (in many US states and formerly in Britain) theft of personal property having a value less than a legally specified amount.

  ‘Prophitt was charged with felonious assault and petty larceny.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Arrest records confirmed popular charges that petty larceny was ‘a boy's crime.’’
  • ‘Backster admits that he committed a bit of petty larceny in the name of science: he went to another office, went into a secretary's desk drawer and retrieved some matches.’
  • ‘Venial sins were the small-time stuff: white lies and petty larceny, like talking back and stealing candy.’
  • ‘You truly were going to send her to prison and bother me with putting this young lady on trial for a petty larceny?’