What term is used for the unlawful taking of personal property with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of it?

The term that is used for the unlawful taking of personal property with the intent to permanently deprive the owner of it is larceny. Larceny specifically refers to the act of taking someone else's property without their consent and with the intention of keeping it, thus denying the rightful owner the use and possession of their property. This definition captures the critical aspects of the offense—both the element of unlawfulness and the intent to permanently deprive the owner.

While theft is a broader term that encompasses various unlawful acts involving property, larceny is a specific category of theft characterized by the elements of taking and intent. Burglary involves entering a building with the intent to commit a crime, typically theft, inside, but it does not necessarily entail the actual taking of property. Robbery involves taking property from a person using force or intimidation, which distinctly separates it from larceny, where force is not a component. Thus, larceny is the most precise term for the act described in the question.