noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈpɪlf(ə)ɹɪd͡ʒ/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:P IH1 L F ER0 IH0 JH
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The individual act or recurring practice of stealing items of low value, especially in small quantities, for which the legal term is petty theft.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
the act of stealing small amounts or small articles
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Etymology tree English pilfer Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh2tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātus Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icus Latin -āticus Latin -āticum Old French -agebor. Middle English -age English -age English pilferage From pilfer + -age.
Across languages
Translations
9 source translations are retained for this English entry.