stolen

word · lemma: steal

/ˈstoʊɫən/
STOH-luhn
/stˈəʊlən/
STOH-luhn

Definition

Taken by someone without permission and illegally. It is the past participle of 'steal' and is often used to describe things that someone took dishonestly.

Usage & Nuances

Usually appears after 'be' or before a noun: 'The car was stolen', 'stolen money'. Do not use it as the main past-tense verb by itself; say 'Someone stole my bag', not 'Someone stolen my bag'. It can also be used figuratively in phrases like 'stolen moments' for private or brief time together.

Example Sentences

My bike was stolen last night.

basic

The police found the stolen phone.

basic

This money was stolen from the store.

basic

I had to cancel my cards because my wallet got stolen.

natural

They were selling stolen laptops online.

natural

We only had a few stolen moments together before the meeting started.

natural