What does burglarizing mean?
Burglarizing means unlawfully entering a building, vehicle, or other property in order to steal or commit another crime. It is the present-participle form of the chiefly American verb burglarize, and is frequently used with progressive constructions such as "is burglarizing" or "was burglarizing." The word can also appear before a noun, including in crime reports describing an alleged offender or an event. Its meaning is specific: it describes the act of entering property unlawfully, rather than theft in general. For example, a person may be robbing a business without burglarizing it if the entry occurs through an authorized or openly accessible route, while a person who breaks into a locked shop after hours is burglarizing it. The form carries the practical and legal associations of crime reporting, although it can also have a sensational effect when used in journalism or everyday conversation.
verbBurglarizing means unlawfully entering a building, vehicle, or other property with the intent to steal or commit another crime. It is the present-participle form of burglarize.
- The act of unlawfully entering a building, vehicle, or other property with the intent to steal or commit another crime.
"The security footage showed two people burglarizing the jewelry store after closing."
"The witness reported seeing someone burglarizing the apartment."
"Police used surveillance footage to determine whether the suspect had been burglarizing the warehouse."
A verb with an immediate sense of unlawful entry, burglarizing captures the tense moment when a thief crosses the threshold into private space.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Words that share this root
Related word forms
How burglarizing is actually used
Burglarizing is an American present-participle form and is especially common in progressive constructions such as "is burglarizing" or "was burglarizing." It can also function attributively, as in "the burglarizing suspect." British English more commonly uses "burgling" for the corresponding action.
Easily confused with burglarizing
Burglary is the noun for the crime of breaking into property to steal, while burglarizing is the verb form describing that action.
Burgling is a chiefly British verb meaning to commit a burglary, while burglarizing is the more common American equivalent.