burglar

American  

[bur-gler] / ˈbɜr glər /

noun

1. a person who commits burglary.

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burglar British  

/ ˈbɜːɡlə /

noun

1. a person who commits burglary; housebreaker

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Etymology

Origin of burglar

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English, from Anglo-French burgler (compare Anglo-Latin burg(u)lātor ), perhaps from unattested Old French borgl(er) “to plunder, pillage” (from unattested Gallo-Romance būriculāre, equivalent to unattested būric(āre) (unattested Old Low Franconian būrj(an) “to dart at, pounce upon” + unattested Vulgar Latin -icāre verb suffix; compare Old French burgier “to strike, hit”) + -ulāre verb suffix) + Anglo-French -er -er ²; -ar ²

Explanation

Use the word burglar when you're talking about someone who steals things from inside a house or a building. A burglar often breaks a window or forces a lock, intending to take valuable items. The act of doing this is burglary, and to do it is to burglarize in the United States, or to burgle in Britain. In the 1540's, burglar was a short form of the word burglator, from the Latin burgare, "to break open."

Example Sentences

His mother “worked as a receptionist at a burglar alarm company—one of the few growth industries in the neighborhood” during the early 1960s.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

But as any Argentine will tell you, you would have to be stupid to literally hide cash under your mattress—it’s the first place a burglar would look.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

Many also installed camera systems and burglar alarms.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2026

Dr Shakoor told officers there was a problem with the door's lock, which prompted the police to consider an opportunist burglar.

From BBC • May 21, 2025

I quickly closed the drawers, so Grandma wouldn’t know I had been snooping around, and tiptoed to the front door, because I was afraid that maybe what I had heard was a burglar.

From "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer

Related Words

• crook
• robber
• thief