thievery

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English

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Etymology

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From thieve +‎ -ery. Compare Old Frisian deverie ("thievery; theft"; > West Frisian dieverij; Saterland Frisian Däiweräi), Dutch dieverij (thievery), German Low German Deveree (thievery; theft), German Dieberei (thievery), Danish tyveri (thievery; theft; larceny), Swedish tjuveri (thievery).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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thievery (countable and uncountable, plural thieveries)

  1. The act of theft, the act of stealing.
    This instance of thievery will not be overlooked.
    • 2008, John O’Callaghan, “Neither Robber Barons nor Philosopher Kings: Political Prudence in the Just Polity”, in Margaret Monahan Hogan, Lauretta Conklin Frederking, editors, The American Experiment: Religious Freedom, [Portland, Ore.]: University of Portland, Garaventa Center for Catholic Intellectual Life and American Culture, →ISBN, section 4 (Theoretical Analyses), page 343:
      One thief may well have the power to achieve a certain amount of success in fulfilling his desires to possess the property of another. But thievery being what it is, it feeds that desire in an intemperate way, and so the desire grows and grows.
  2. (obsolete) That which is stolen.