A person who takes something that doesn't belong to them without permission, especially someone who steals regularly.
From Old English 'þeof,' related to Germanic languages with similar words for stealing. The word likely has Proto-Indo-European roots connected to hiding or secrecy, since thieves must conceal their actions.
The word 'thief' is one of the oldest in English, appearing in texts over 1,200 years ago—and humans have been stealing for as long as we've had possessions, making this one of history's most consistently relevant vocabulary words.
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