English Reference
Noun

intruder

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˌɪnˈtɹudɝ/ UK /ɪntɹˈuːdɐ/ in·trud·er UK spelling intruder's, intruder's

n.a person who enters a place without permission, often to steal something or cause trouble.

n.a person who enters a building, grounds, or private property without invitation or legal right.


SIMPLE

The security alarm went off when the intruder broke a window.

CONTEXTUAL

The homeowner called the police after seeing an unknown intruder on the backyard security camera.

COMPLEX

While the motion sensors are designed to detect a human intruder, they are frequently triggered by local wildlife or swaying tree branches.

Usage

Often used in legal or security contexts to distinguish between a guest and an unauthorised person.

Munroe, 43 at the time, then wrestled the gun away from one of the intruders and shot him.

Toronto Sun· 21 Aug 2026

From intrude + -er.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated