To take (money or property) from someone, some group, some institution, etc., illegally or without their knowledge or consent. A noun or pronoun can be used between "steal" and "from" to specify what is being stolen. People who sign onto social welfare when they don't really need it are just stealing from the government. After they caught their youngest son stealing money from them to pay for drugs, they had him shipped off to boarding school. Sarah has been accused of stealing food from the school cafeteria.