盗人|ぬすびとnusubito[0]heiban (flat)

1. nounthief; robber

• Synonym泥棒どろぼうNeutralThe most common everyday word for a thief; more colloquial than 「盗人」, which now survives mainly in proverbs.
• Synonym盗賊とうぞくWrittenWritten word for a thief; suggests bands given to robbery and plunder, and turns up often in stories.
• Synonym賊ぞくWrittenSingle-character written word for a thief; can also mean a rebel or traitor, seen mostly in compounds like 「賊軍」.
• Synonym物取りものとりWrittenWritten-style word for a thief, often as 「物取りの犯行」; stresses the stealing of property.
• Synonym窃盗犯せっとうはんFormalFormal legal term for a perpetrator of theft; stresses the person's status as an offender.
• Synonym偸盗ちゅうとうWrittenArchaic written word for stealing with Buddhist-precept overtones; hardly ever used today.

For an everyday thief, say 「泥棒」; 「盗人」 itself now appears chiefly in proverbs such as 「盗人猛々しい」 and 「盗人にも三分の理」. Use 「窃盗犯」 in legal contexts. 「物取り」, 「盗賊」 and 「賊」 are written-style, and 「偸盗」 is a rare archaism.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 他人たにんの物ものを何なんかしらの方法ほうほうで盗ぬすむ者もの、泥棒どろぼう。