Larceny is the legal term for stealing someone else's property. When someone takes something that doesn't belong to them without permission and with no plan to return it, that's larceny. If a student swipes another kid's bike from the school rack and rides it home, that's larceny. If someone walks out of a store with a jacket hidden under their coat, that's larceny too.

The word comes from the world of law and courts, where different types of stealing have specific names. Larceny usually means taking physical objects like money, electronics, or clothing. It's different from crimes like burglary (breaking into a building to steal) or robbery (stealing while threatening or hurting someone). Someone commits larceny simply by taking what isn't theirs.

Courts often divide larceny into categories based on value. Petty larceny involves stealing inexpensive items, while grand larceny means stealing something valuable, like a car or expensive jewelry. The penalties differ: petty larceny might result in a fine or community service, while grand larceny can lead to serious jail time.

You'll hear larceny used in news reports about arrests and trials, though in everyday conversation, people usually just say “stealing” or “theft.” But when lawyers and judges need to be precise about exactly what crime occurred, larceny is the word they use.