burglary

American  

[bur-gluh-ree] / ˈbɜr glə ri /

noun

Criminal Law.

burglaries plural

1. the felony of breaking into and entering the house of another at night with intent to steal, extended by statute to cover the breaking into and entering of any of various buildings, by night or day.

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burglary British  

/ bɜːˈɡlɛərɪəs, ˈbɜːɡlərɪ /

noun

1. English criminal law the crime of either entering a building as a trespasser with the intention of committing theft, rape, grievous bodily harm, or damage, or, having entered as a trespasser, of committing one or more of these offences

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• burglarious
  adjective
• antiburglary
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• burglaries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of burglary

1150–1200; Middle English < Anglo-French burglarie; see burglar, -y ³

Explanation

A burglary is committed when a person breaks into a building with the intent of committing a crime, especially if the crime is to steal valuable items. What's the difference between burglary and robbery? In a burglary, the criminal has to enter the building or structure illegally (breaking and entering), and the victim of the theft is unlikely to have contact with the burglar — or to even know about the theft until after the burglar is gone. In a robbery, however, a victim has to be present, and the criminal commits the crime by using violence or threatening the victim with violence.

Related Words

• break in
• crime
• heist
• larceny
• robbery
• theft