steal, pilfer, filch, purloin mean to take from another without right or without detection. steal may apply to any surreptitious taking of something and differs from the other terms by commonly applying to intangibles as well as material things.
STEAL definition: to take (the property of another or others) without permission or right, especially secretly or by force. See examples of steal used in a sentence.
Steal is the most general: stole a car; steals research from colleagues. To purloin is to make off with something, often in a breach of trust: purloined the key to his cousin's safe-deposit box.
steal (third-person singular simple present steals, present participle stealing, simple past stole, past participle stolen or (nonstandard, colloquial) stole) (transitive) To take illegally, or without the owner 's permission, something owned by someone else without intending to return it.
to take (the property of another) without permission or right, esp. secretly or by force: [~ + object] Someone stole my dad's car last night. [no object] The two brothers were always stealing from each other. [~ + object] to take and use (ideas, credit, etc.) without right or acknowledgment.
steal definition: take something without permission or unlawfully. Check meanings, examples, usage tips, pronunciation, domains, and related words. Discover expressions like "steal off", "total steal", "steal away".
To steal is take something that isn't yours: thieves steal. But a bargain that's so good it's almost like you're getting away with robbery is also called a steal.
