petit larceny

also pet·ty larceny (pĕt'ē)
n.
The theft of objects whose value is below a certain arbitrary standard.

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

A form of larceny — the stealing of another's personal property — in which the value of the property taken is generally less than $50.

At common law, the penalty for the offense was whipping or some other corporal punishment. Under modern-day statutes, it is usually a fine, imprisonment, or both.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: larceny of property having a value less than some amount (the amount varies by locale)
  Synonym: petty larceny
  Antonym: grand larceny (meaning #1)

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