The unlawful taking of another person's property without consent and with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of it. In many modern legal systems, including most jurisdictions in the United States and the United Kingdom, theft is a broad statutory offense that consolidated the older common law categories of larceny, embezzlement and false pretenses into a single crime defined by the wrongful taking or exercise of control over property belonging to another. It is one of the most commonly prosecuted offenses worldwide, ranging in severity from petty theft of low value items to grand theft of high value property, with penalties typically scaled to the value taken.
Facts
Classification CodeUnited States law commonly divides theft into grand theft and petty theft. Grand theft may be charged as a felony or a misdemeanor depending on the severity of the theft and the jurisdiction, while petty theft is charged only as a misdemeanor. 1 Typical PenaltyIn England and Wales, a person convicted of theft on indictment faces imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years, while a summary conviction carries up to six months in prison or a fine. 2 Elements of OffenseUnder the Theft Act framework used in England and Wales, theft is committed when a person dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it, making dishonesty and the intent to permanently deprive the two central elements. 2 Notable ExampleSourced to the subject's own accountOne of the most famous thefts in history is the 1911 theft of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa from the Louvre by Vincenzo Peruggia, a Louvre employee; when he was caught two years later trying to sell the painting to an Italian museum, he served only six months in jail and was treated as a national hero in Italy. 3 Jurisdiction VariationThe dollar threshold that divides a lesser and greater theft charge varies sharply by jurisdiction: California sets its felony grand theft threshold at 950 dollars, while Canada instead splits theft into an under-5,000 and over-5,000 dollar divide, with theft over 5,000 dollars carrying up to ten years imprisonment against two years for theft under that amount. 2 Classification
Offense GradeMinor or Summary Offense 1 Connections
Associated With
Merton's own worked example of the 'innovation' adaptation names theft directly (alongside organized crime and drug sales) as the illegitimate means pursued when the culturally approved goal of wealth is blocked by legitimate means.
Source Wikipedia: Strain Theory (Sociology)
Has Offense Grade
Entity-backed identity for the offense-grade enum value this offense already carries, resolved to a crime concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The offense-grade fact itself stays on the offense unchanged.
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Cornell LII Wex: Theft
Main definition paragraph
Theft is the taking of another person’s personal property with the intent of depriving that person of the use of their property.
Grand versus petty grading
Grand theft may be a felony or a misdemeanor depending on the severity of the theft and jurisdiction, while petty theft is a misdemeanor.
View the Source2. Theft (Wikipedia)
WikipediaEngland and Wales statutory elements
dishonestly appropriates property belonging to another with the intention of permanently depriving the other of it
England and Wales sentencing
imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years
Canada threshold and penalty divide
theft over $5,000 carries a maximum punishment of 10 years imprisonment
View the Source 3. 10 Notorious Thefts, Heists, and Robberies (History and Headlines)
History and HeadlinesMona Lisa theft, 1911Quote, Mona Lisa theft, 1911
On August 21, 1911, Vincenzo Peruggia, an employee of the Louvre in Paris, stole perhaps the most famous painting in the world, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.
Wikipedia: Strain Theory (Sociology)
Associated With: Strain Theory, Merton's Theory sectionQuote, Associated With: Strain Theory, Merton's Theory section
Innovators often resort to illegitimate means, to obtain the culturally approved goals (e.g. wealth).
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