What does the term 'theft' refer to?

The term 'theft' specifically refers to the act of stealing, which is the unauthorized taking of someone else's property with the intent to permanently deprive them of it. This definition encompasses a wide range of illegal actions where property is taken without the owner's consent, regardless of the methods employed to acquire it.

In contrast, breaking and entering indicates a specific method of theft but does not encompass all acts of stealing. Similarly, the use of force to steal describes robbery, which is a form of theft but distinct in that it involves force or intimidation. Merchant fraud, although it involves deceit to deprive someone of their property, falls under a different category of crime entirely. Thus, the broad definition of theft as the act of stealing captures the essence of the term accurately.