home invasion

American

noun

an act or instance of entering an occupied residence with the intent to commit a burglary or other crime.

home invasion British

noun

aggravated burglary

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

home invader noun

Etymology

Origin of home invasion

First recorded in 1840–45; current sense dates from 1910–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Authorities had been responding to a call about a possible home invasion in the Indianapolis suburb of Whitestown.

From BBC • Nov. 8, 2025

Try the 2006 game released for PlayStation and defend against a home invasion yourself.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2024

What could have been a mess of tired horror tropes is instead a refreshing and nasty take on a home invasion movie, a low-budget cousin to “You’re Next.”

From New York Times • Mar. 29, 2024

Asian-American families are frequent targets for home invasion robberies in the Bay Area, according to a report.

From Washington Times • Aug. 6, 2023

She headed straight for the living room and started talking to Fang, who was sitting on the couch looking all staggered by the home invasion.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023