In the Victorian vernacular, a gentleman thief is a particularly well-behaving and apparently well bred thief. A "gentleman" is a man with an inherited title of nobility and inherited wealth, who need not work for a living. Such a man steals not in order to gain material wealth, but for adventure. Gentlemen thieves rarely bother with disguise or force, as they rely on their charm and good looks to steal the most unobtainable objects — not usually for their own support, but for the thrill of the act itself.
