thievery

IPA/ˈθiːvəri/
KK[θˈivɚi]IPA/ˈθiːvəri/

thievery — noun

1. the dishonest taking of other people's money or property, especially as a repeat

1.名詞C1
釋義

the dishonest taking of other people's money or property, especially as a repeated habit or a general problem.

例句

Shopkeepers in Tainan blamed the late-night thievery on two teenagers from a nearby town.

blame [crime] on [person]

Months of thievery caught up with Sahil when police found stolen phones under his bed.

months of thievery — repeated behavior

同義詞
  • theft

    more neutral and more common, especially in legal and news contexts.

  • stealing

    more everyday and action-focused; less literary than thievery.

  • robbery

    involves force or threat against a person, unlike thievery.

  • burglary

    specifically involves illegal entry into a building in order to steal.

反義詞
  • honesty

    the quality of behaving truthfully and not taking what belongs to others.

  • lawfulness

    behavior that follows the law instead of breaking it through stealing.

文法句型

months of thievery

thievery in [place]

thievery at [place]

用法筆記

Often sounds a little more literary or strongly disapproving than theft. It is commonly used for stealing as a habit, a pattern, or a problem in a place, rather than for one official case in a police report.

常見錯誤

❌The police investigated three thieveries last month.
✅The police investigated three thefts last month.
💡'Thievery' is usually uncountable and describes stealing in general; use 'thefts' for separate counted incidents.
❌The man pulled a knife and committed thievery.
✅The man committed robbery.
💡'Robbery' is the right word when stealing involves force or a threat against a person.