What does burglary mean?
Burglary is a noun referring to the crime of unlawfully entering a building — typically someone's home, shop, or office — with the intention of stealing something or committing another offence inside. Unlike robbery, which involves taking property directly from a person by force or intimidation, burglary centres on the illegal entry itself and can occur whether or not anyone is present. The term is firmly rooted in legal language, appearing in statutes and court records across the English-speaking world, but it is equally common in news reporting and everyday speech. Related words include the agent noun burglar and the verbs burgle (chiefly British) and burglarize (chiefly American). Because it evokes violation of private space as much as material loss, the word often carries emotional weight in personal accounts. Its long legal history and clear distinction from neighbouring terms like theft and robbery make it a precise and useful addition to any vocabulary.
nounThe crime of illegally entering a building with the intention of committing a theft or other felony, typically while the premises are unoccupied.
- The criminal act of breaking into a building with intent to commit theft or another felony.
"Police are investigating a burglary at the jewellery shop on High Street."
"She reported a burglary at her flat after returning from holiday to find the window smashed."
"Burglary carries a heavier sentence when it occurs in an occupied dwelling."
Standard plural, used chiefly in statistical or legal contexts such as crime reports.
"Burglaries fell by ten per cent across the city last year."
Under old English law, a burglary had to happen at night — the word comes from Latin burgare, 'to break open,' which is also where we get the medieval Latin term for a fortified town.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of burglary
Burglary derives from the Anglo-Latin 'burglaria' and Old French 'burglerie', ultimately rooted in the medieval Latin verb 'burgare', meaning to break into or break open. The word entered English legal usage in the Middle Ages, when it specifically denoted breaking into a dwelling at night. It is closely related to 'burglar', the agent noun for one who commits the crime, and shares distant roots with words connected to fortified places and strongholds.
How burglary is actually used
In legal contexts, burglary is distinct from robbery: it does not require confrontation with a person. In everyday British usage, the verb form is usually given as 'burgle', though some speakers find this informal; American English typically uses 'burglarize'.
Easily confused with burglary
Robbery involves taking property directly from a person by force or threat of force, whereas burglary involves unlawful entry into a building with intent to steal.