"grand theft" means: The criminal act of stealing an amount higher than a limit deemed by statute, therefore carrying more severe penalties than a simple theft.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
grand theft
(US) The criminal act of stealing an amount higher than a limit deemed by statute, therefore carrying more severe penalties than a simple theft.
Seen in the wild
Bank of America thinks Take-Two should charge more for Grand Theft Auto 6 It's for the good of the games industry, you see. IGN There are two big questions preoccupying Grand Theft Auto fans th... #Gaming #Industry…
Trump should be tried for Grand Theft Larceny and put away for 30 years to life. Though Grand implies big in the description, it's more accurate to say Gross Theft, for the Gross Dumbster.
I tried playing "Grand Theft Auto" and Grand Theft Auto 2" on GameBoy Color, and controls killed me. It never ceases to amaze me how brutal we had it; or at least people who played games with D-pads only. #RetroGaming
Hello everyone! Today is Grand Theft Auto 5 day, or Trevor Tuesday! www.twitch.tv/mrperezident82 #LiveNow #Twitch #TwitchStreamer #GrandTheftAuto5 #Gaming #NowPlaying
Ukrainian military units are reportedly using Grand Theft Auto V as a training simulator for FPV drone pilots. Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only and is based on publicly available reports. #U…
Definitions
(US) The criminal act of stealing an amount higher than a limit deemed by statute, therefore carrying more severe penalties than a simple theft.
"grand theft" means: The criminal act of stealing an amount higher than a limit deemed by statute, therefore carrying more severe penalties than a simple theft.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"grand theft" means: The criminal act of stealing an amount higher than a limit deemed by statute, therefore carrying more severe penalties than a simple theft.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (US) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a
“Bank of America thinks Take-Two should charge more for Grand Theft Auto 6 It's for the good of the games industry, you see. IGN There are two big questions preoccupying Grand Theft Auto fans th... #Gaming #Industry Origin | Interest | Match”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Trump should be tried for Grand Theft Larceny and put away for 30 years to life. Though Grand implies big in the description, it's more accurate to say Gross Theft, for the Gross Dumbster.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I tried playing "Grand Theft Auto" and Grand Theft Auto 2" on GameBoy Color, and controls killed me. It never ceases to amaze me how brutal we had it; or at least people who played games with D-pads only. #RetroGaming”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Hello everyone! Today is Grand Theft Auto 5 day, or Trevor Tuesday! www.twitch.tv/mrperezident82 #LiveNow #Twitch #TwitchStreamer #GrandTheftAuto5 #Gaming #NowPlaying”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Ukrainian military units are reportedly using Grand Theft Auto V as a training simulator for FPV drone pilots. Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only and is based on publicly available reports. #Ukraine #FPVDrone #GTAV #MilitaryTraining #DroneTechnology”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Comments
For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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🗺️About Regional & Other slang
Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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Related terms
People also read
Semantically related
- 86%
(US) The criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal a motor vehicle.
- 77%
(US, criminal law) The larceny of property whose value is greater than an amount set by law to distinguish it from petty larceny.
- 62%
(US, MTE, MLE) Something which has been stolen.
- 61%
(legal, UK, obsolete) The act or fact, especially of theft.
- 60%
(India) grand theft auto; stealing a car.