once a thief, always a thief

proverb

A person found to have stolen another's property will always be marked as a thief.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. A person found to have stolen another's property will always be marked as a thief.
phrase
  1. Said in admonishment to a person who was once considered a thief and later professed to have reformed, only to have been caught stealing once again.
Cite this entry
APA

once a thief, always a thief. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/once%20a%20thief%2C%20always%20a%20thief

MLA

“once a thief, always a thief.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/once%20a%20thief%2C%20always%20a%20thief. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “once a thief, always a thief,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/once%20a%20thief%2C%20always%20a%20thief.

Source: once a thief, always a thief on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.