To take something secretly and unlawfully; to steal. The word is often used in a more formal or official context, for example in police reports.
example
Der Dieb hat die Geldbörse aus der Tasche entwendet.
The thief stole the wallet from the bag.
Usage tips
Inseparable verb
'Entwenden' (to steal) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'ent-' always remains attached to the verb stem and is not placed at the end of the sentence.
EXAMPLE
Sie bemerkte erst später, dass man ihr die Uhr entwendet hatte.
She only noticed later that someone had stolen her watch.
Register: formal language
This word belongs to elevated or formal language. It is often found in police reports, news reports, or legal texts.
EXAMPLE
Laut Polizeibericht wurde das Fahrzeug in der Nacht entwendet.
According to the police report, the vehicle was stolen during the night.
Dative construction
The person from whom something is stolen is in the dative. The typical sentence structure is: Jemand entwendet jemandem (dative) etwas (accusative) (someone steals something from someone).
EXAMPLE
Ein Unbekannter hat dem Touristen die Kamera entwendet.
An unknown person stole the tourist's camera.
Compare with
near_synonym
entwenden vs stehlen
to steal
'stehlen' and 'entwenden' both mean that someone secretly and unlawfully takes something. The most important difference is style. 'stehlen' is the normal everyday word. 'entwenden' sounds more formal and is often used in reports, complaints, or by the police. In a conversation with friends, you usually say 'stehlen'. If a text is meant to sound factual or official, 'entwenden' fits better.
entwenden
Aus dem Lager wurden mehrere Werkzeuge entwendet.
Several tools were stolen from the warehouse.
stehlen
Im Büro hat jemand Annas Geld aus der Jacke gestohlen.
At the office, someone stole Anna's money from her jacket.