burglarize

Q: Is the verb form of 'burglary', 'burgle' or 'burglarize'?

The verb form of burglary can be either burglarize or burgle . "Burglarize," like many verb forms, is made by adding the suffix -ize , and this form is more common in American English. Burgle is a back-formation (a word formed by subtraction of a real or supposed affix from an already existing longer word), and is more common in British English. Both are widely accepted as correct.

Q: Is 'burglarized' a real word?

Yes, it is, and so is burgle . While both variants of the verb, burgle and burglarize , have been disparaged since they entered the language in the middle of the 19th century, both are real words, and both have come to be widely accepted.

verb

bur·glar·ize ˈbər-glə-ˌrīz

also ˈbər-gə-lə-

burglarized; burglarizing

Synonyms of burglarize next

transitive verb

: to break into and steal from

burglarize a house

: to commit burglary against

intransitive verb

: to commit burglary

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a difference between burglarize and rob?

To burglarize is "to break into and enter of a building with the intent to commit a crime, often theft," whereas rob means " to take personal property from by violence or threat." Burglary need not entail violence or threat, and robbery need not entail breaking into a dwelling.

Is the verb form of burglary, burgle or burglarize?

The verb form of burglary can be either burglarize or burgle. "Burglarize," like many verb forms, is made by adding the suffix -ize, and this form is more common in American English. Burgle is a back-formation (a word formed by subtraction of a real or supposed affix from an already existing longer word), and is more common in British English. Both are widely accepted as correct.

Is burglarized a real word?

Yes, it is, and so is burgle. While both variants of the verb, burgle and burglarize, have been disparaged since they entered the language in the middle of the 19th century, both are real words, and both have come to be widely accepted.

Examples of burglarize in a Sentence

the Watergate scandal began when Republican operatives burglarized the Democratic Party's headquarters in Washington, D.C. before they were caught, the thieves had burglarized dozens of houses around the city

Recent Examples on the Web After some of the homes in the vicinity were burglarized, police were posted in the neighborhood for about two days, searching vehicles. —

Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN, 5 Sep. 2023 As the risks and red flags continue to accumulate around their shared future, the duo agree on a desperate plan to burglarize a wealthy housewife. —

Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 3 Sep. 2023 A week ago, Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas’ Lamborghini was burglarized in downtown Los Angeles, police sources told The Times. —

Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2023 Burglary There was a report July 22 that a vehicle was burglarized in the 300 block of South Rand Road. —

Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2023 Last week, Allan Moreno lost a number of things when Esperanza Elementary in West Valley City, where his nonprofit Academia Mis Raíces is housed, was burglarized. —

Palak Jayswal, The Salt Lake Tribune, 17 July 2023 More than 30 vehicles were burglarized early Tuesday in the parking lots of Amazon and FedEx in Bessemer. —

Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 31 May 2023 Investigators say Fletcher was burglarizing the residence when he was shot. —

William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, 14 Aug. 2023 His home was burglarized the same day — something that’s happened at least three times. —

Scott D. Pierce, The Salt Lake Tribune, 23 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'burglarize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.