Word: larceny (noun)

Associations

"Larceny" means stealing something that belongs to someone else. It is a legal word used in law to describe theft. It is more formal than just saying "stealing."

• Example 1: "He was arrested for larceny after taking money from the store." Here, larceny means stealing money.
• Example 2: "Larceny is a crime punishable by law." This shows that larceny is a legal term for theft.
• Example 3: "The police investigated the larceny of the stolen car." This means the car was taken illegally.

Synonym: theft. The difference is that "theft" is more general and common, while "larceny" is a specific legal term used in courts.

Substitution

You can use:

• theft (more general, everyday use)
• stealing (more informal)
• robbery (when stealing with force or threat)
• burglary (when breaking into a building to steal)

Using "robbery" or "burglary" changes the meaning because they involve force or breaking in, but "larceny" does not.

Deconstruction

The word "larceny" comes from Old French "larcin," meaning theft, and from Latin "latrocinium," meaning robbery or banditry. It has no prefix or suffix; it is a root word used in legal language.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation where someone might be charged with larceny?
• How is larceny different from robbery in real life?
• Have you ever heard this word in a movie or book? What was the situation?