Is there a single English word to describe when someone has appropriated property that doesn't belong to them unintentionally?
For example, say I borrow a pen from someone and absentmindedly put it in my pocket after I finish writing. I discover the pen much later. Did I steal it, or is there a term with less harsh connotations?
Best Answer
You could probably call it an honest mistake (I know, a bit illogical, but still a common phrase).
Following the precise definition, if you borrowed a pen and then failed to return it as agreed, it would still be borrowed—that is took and used with the intention of returning it.