Which term refers to a serious crime involving the unlawful taking of another's property?

The term that refers to a serious crime involving the unlawful taking of another's property is larceny. Larceny encompasses the act of taking someone's personal property with the intention of permanently depriving the owner of it. It is considered a type of theft but is specifically defined in legal terms as the unlawful taking and carrying away of someone else's property without consent.

While other terms like robbery and burglary are related to the unlawful taking of property, they have distinct legal definitions. Robbery involves taking property from a person using force or intimidation, which adds an element of violence that is not present in larceny. Burglary, on the other hand, refers to unlawfully entering a building with the intent to commit a crime, usually theft, but does not necessarily involve the actual taking of property at the moment of entry.

The term theft is more general and can encompass various types of unlawful taking, including larceny, but when specifically referencing the act of taking property with the intention of depriving the owner of it, larceny is the precise legal term.