Word
burglary
Phoneticsbur·glary
US/ˈbɝɡɫɝi/
UK/bˈɜːɡləɹi/
Definition
n. the crime of entering a building or car illegally because you want to steal something.
n. the act of entering a building or vehicle unlawfully with the intent to commit a crime, typically theft.
Examples
“The police investigated the burglary at the house.”
“They installed a security system after the burglary last winter.”
“The burglary was solved quickly because the suspect left fingerprints on the window frame.”
Examples
simple
“The police investigated the burglary at the house.”
contextual
“They installed a security system after the burglary last winter.”
complex
“The burglary was solved quickly because the suspect left fingerprints on the window frame.”
Usage
Often used as an uncountable noun for the crime itself, or as a countable noun for a specific instance.
Teaching tip
Learners often confuse this with 'robbery'. Remind them that burglary is about the building/entry, while robbery involves a victim being present and threatened.
Pitfall
He was arrested for a burglary of a bank.
He was arrested for a robbery of a bank.
Use 'burglary' for breaking into buildings like houses or shops. Use 'robbery' when someone uses force or threats against a person.
Real-World Examples
“A father-of-one was charged over a €1.2 million cannabis seizure in Dublin after gardaí responded to reports of a burglary and a Chinese man fleeing with his hands "cable-tied behind his back".” “Doubts were also raised about the arson story after the Observer reported that, while the police recorded an attempted burglary at Farage’s home, they did not record an arson attack.” Etymology
From New Latin burglaria. Equivalent to burglar + -y. Displaced native Old English hūsbryċe (literally “house-breach”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/burglary