burglary

noun

bur·glary | \ ˈbər-glə-rē also -gə-lə-rē also -gəl-rē

plural burglaries

Definition of burglary

: the act of breaking and entering a dwelling at night to commit a felony (such as theft) broadly : the entering of a building with the intent to commit a crime

Other Words from burglary Example Sentences Learn More about burglary

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Examples of burglary in a Sentence

There have been a number of burglaries in the neighborhood in recent months. He has been charged with attempted burglary.

Recent Examples on the Web

Pete Dugan, a spokesman with the Tucson Police Department, said police received a call around 12:42 a.m. about a home burglary near the 100 block of West Calle Nueva Vida. — Perry Vandell, azcentral, "Tucson police fatally shoot armed man following home burglary," 16 June 2019 Brett Kavanaugh, appointed by Donald Trump and reviled by liberals, wrote an opinion for the unanimous court: The exceedingly narrow question in this case concerns remaining-in burglary. — Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "The latest US Supreme Court rulings are blowing up pundits’ predictions," 15 June 2019 The burglaries occurred on Balboa Island and in Corona del Mar. On May 28, a Newport Beach police detective wrote a search warrant to review the monitoring information in Kasbar’s GPS ankle monitor, according to court documents. — Julia Sclafani, latimes.com, "Newport Beach man accused in string of burglaries is back in custody, suspected of violating terms of release with trips to casinos and Coachella," 14 June 2019 In the Whipple Avenue burglary, residents said a cellphone and cash were stolen between 8:30 p.m. Monday and 6 a.m. Tuesday. — Megan Jones, Aurora Beacon-News, "Batavia man accused of burglaries to two homes," 12 June 2019 Anyone with information on the burglary and/or the identity and whereabouts of the wanted man is asked to contact 2nd District detectives at 504-658-6020 or call Crimestoppers anonymously at 504-822-1111 and toll-free at 1-877-903-7867. — Jennifer Larino, nola.com, "Man smashed Mazda pickup into store, set strip mall on fire in Sunday burglary: NOPD," 11 June 2019 Police stated that his wife, Alice Campello, his two children and their nanny were all present during the burglary. — SI.com, "Álvaro Morata's Home Robbed by Armed Men With Striker Away on Spain Duty," 10 June 2019 Jordan Louis Gerkitz, 32, of Chicago, was charged with three counts of financial identity theft by Naperville police in connection with items taken in a Naperville car burglary in December. — Suzanne Baker, Naperville Sun, "Three charged in connection with items taken from a Naperville car, cops say," 4 June 2019 Jeffree responded, thoroughly bashing the discount retailer and accusing them of selling makeup stolen in the burglary. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "Burlington Releases a Statement After Jeffree Star Accuses Them of Selling Stolen Makeup," 10 Apr. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'burglary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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More Definitions for burglary

burglary

noun

English Language Learners Definition of burglary

: the act of illegally entering a building in order to steal things

See the full definition for burglary in the English Language Learners Dictionary

burglary

noun

bur·glary | \ ˈbər-glə-rē

plural burglaries

Kids Definition of burglary

: the act of breaking into a building especially at night with the intent to commit a crime (as theft)

burglary

noun

bur·glary | \ ˈbər-glə-rē

plural burglaries

Legal Definition of burglary

: the act of breaking and entering an inhabited structure (as a house) especially at night with intent to commit a felony (as murder or larceny) also : the act of entering or remaining unlawfully (as after closing to the public) in a building with intent to commit a crime (as a felony)

Note: The crime of burglary was originally defined under the common law to protect people, since there were other laws (as those defining larceny and trespass) that protected property. State laws have broadened the common-law crime. Entering at night is often no longer required and may be considered an aggravating factor. The building may be something other than a dwelling, such as a store or pharmacy. Some states (as Louisiana) have included vehicles under their burglary statute. There are degrees of burglary, and some of the usual aggravating factors are the presence of people and use of a deadly weapon.