What does burglariously mean?
Burglariously is a rare English adverb meaning 'in the manner of a burglar' — that is, by unlawful entry into a building, typically with the intention of stealing. It is the adverbial form of the adjective burglarious, which describes anything relating to or resembling burglary. The word belongs almost entirely to formal and legal registers: it appears most often in insurance claims, police reports, and older statutes, frequently in the stock phrase 'burglariously entered,' which allowed writers to describe a break-in precisely without attributing it to any named person. In ordinary conversation and modern prose it sounds stiff or antiquated, and speakers generally prefer simpler wording such as 'broken into,' 'robbed,' or 'entered illegally.' Its rarity is part of its charm: because it compresses an entire criminal act into a single adverb, it occasionally resurfaces in humorous or deliberately ornate writing. For anyone reading historical legal documents or vintage crime reporting, however, it remains a genuinely useful term to recognize.
adverbIn a manner characteristic of a burglar; by way of housebreaking or illegal entry into a building, especially with intent to steal.
- In a manner characteristic of burglary; by unlawful entry into a building, especially with intent to steal.
"The report noted that several offices had been burglariously entered over the holiday weekend."
"The insurance claim stated that the premises had been burglariously entered sometime overnight."
"He crept burglariously through the unlocked garden door, more from habit than intent."
Burglariously turns an entire crime into an adverb — legal documents have used it for centuries to describe buildings 'burglariously entered' without ever naming a thief.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of burglariously
Burglariously derives from burglarious, the adjective formed from burglar plus the Latinate suffix -ous. The noun burglar itself has an obscure history: it appears in Anglo-Latin legal usage of the medieval period as burgulator and entered English via Old French, though its ultimate origin remains uncertain. The adverb follows the standard English pattern of adding -ly to an adjective, giving legal and insurance writers a convenient means of describing entry 'in a burglarious manner.'
Related word forms
How burglariously is actually used
Burglariously is rare and distinctly formal or legal in register, appearing chiefly in insurance reports, police records, and older legal texts. It carries a slightly archaic, officious flavor in everyday writing, where phrases like 'broken into' or 'entered unlawfully' are far more natural choices.
Easily confused with burglariously
Burglarious is the adjective describing something as relating to or like burglary, while burglariously is its adverb form describing how an action is carried out.