Which of the following best describes larceny?

Larceny is best described as the taking of property without consent. This definition is central to the concept of larceny, which involves an unlawful act where one person takes another person's personal property with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of it. The essence of larceny lies in the lack of consent; the act does not involve force or threats and is characterized by the intention to keep the property for oneself.

While terms like forceful taking, buying stolen property, or breaking and entering relate to different forms of theft or crimes, they do not encapsulate the specific legal definition of larceny. Larceny does not require any physical force in its basic definition, differentiating it from robbery, which involves the use of force. The focus on lack of consent is crucial since it establishes the violation of ownership rights without the direct confrontation associated with other theft crimes.