shoplifting

plural shopliftings

1. uncountableThe action of stealing goods from a shop, store or other place of business.

   Shoplifting is one of the most prevalent crimes and it costs retailers millions of dollars each year.

   2006, Gennaro F. Vito, Jeffrey R. Maahs, Ronald M. Holmes, Criminology: Theory, Research, And Policy, page 337

   3 more examples

   […]William Grove for robbing his Master of twenty-sive Guineas ; and Catharine Knox for Shoplifting.

   1724, The Chronological Diary For the Year 1724, page 45

   1757 December 22, The London Chronicle, Volume II: June 30 - December 31, page 594, Yesterday Afternoon a Woman well dreſs'd, was detected at Mr. Flint′s, a Haberdasher on London-Bridge, in Shoplifting, and on examining her, there were found on her ſome Goods belonging to Mr. Kennet, a Haberdasher at the ſame Place.

   On my first day on the watch after leaving the shoplifting squad I paraded on earlies but had completely forgotten to take my ear ring off.

   2007, Paul W. Browning, The Good Guys Wear Blue, page 193

   Synonyms: retail theft

2. countableA theft from a shop during trading hours.

   In high school, he bleached his hair and began a series of shopliftings and bicycle thefts.

   2000, Elmer H Johnson, Carol Johnson, Linking Community and Corrections in Japan, page 180

   2 more examples

   And we hardly even consider the countless robberies, shopliftings, burglaries, carjackings, kidnappings, stalkings, intimidations and harassments.

   2004, “An American”, in Arlington′s Blood, iUniverse, page 82

   When we described the 80-20 rule, we mentioned that 5% of the stores in Danvers, Massachusetts, accounted for 50% of the reported shopliftings.

   2012, Lawrence Fennelly, Handbook of Loss Prevention and Crime Prevention, 5th edition, page 171

   Synonyms: shoplift

1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of shoplift