Larceny vs. Theft vs. Robbery: What’s the Difference?

The main difference between larceny and theft is that larceny refers specifically to the unlawful taking of physical property, while theft is a broader term that includes various crimes like fraud, embezzlement, and identity theft. All larceny is theft, but not all theft is larceny.

Larceny, theft, and robbery all mean that something was stolen from the person who owned it by a person who took it. Yet, according to the law, these words are not completely interchangeable.

How the law views these words is very different. Understanding how they are different helps you, the victim of a crime, understand how the law will proceed.

What Is Larceny?

Larceny is actually an all-encompassing term referring to other types of theft and robbery. It is a category of crime referring to the theft of property or assets by someone who intends to never return what he or she has stolen. There are other subcategories of stealing under the banner of larceny, and that is what the law looks at to determine the seriousness of the crime.

What Is Theft?

Theft and larceny are essentially the same thing, although theft may occur with or without the victim’s knowledge. Once the theft is known and is reported to the police, it becomes a form of larceny, even though it may still be referred to as theft.

For example, petty theft is stealing anything less than a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Grand theft auto, on the other hand, is the stealing of a valuable vehicle with the potential for violence or threat of violence. Theft has its own subcategories, just as theft is a subcategory under larceny.

What Is Robbery?

Robbery is theft with violence or threat of violence involved. Usually, the victim is threatened with a gun, knife, or other weapon prior to being robbed. The victim can identify the robber by various means, which makes it the most dangerous form of stealing because the victim is more likely to come to harm or a fatality.

Seeking Restitution

In many cases of larceny, it is unlikely that you will ever see your property again. However, you should still file a report and get updates from the police. If they do find the thief or robber, you can press charges, hire a lawyer, and seek restitution.