burglary

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

|Updated on: 4 Jul 2018

Definition of burglary

plural burglaries

: 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

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burglarious

play \ˌbər-ˈgler-ē-əs\ adjective

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burglariously

adverb

See burglary defined for English-language learners

See burglary defined for kids

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 of burglary from the Web

Amy Caprio was responding to a burglary call in Perry Hall and was hit by a suspect’s vehicle.

— the baltimore sun, baltimoresun.com, "Orioles honor fallen officer Amy Caprio as Birdland hero at Sunday's game," 1 July 2018
But, following his arrest, the complaint was amended to include two additional felony charges tied to events following the violent dispute with his wife: burglary of a building or dwelling and operating a motor vehicle without the owner's consent.

— jim riccioli, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Eagle man charged in violent dispute with wife, multi-state manhunt pleads not guilty," 29 June 2018
Two teenagers were arrested Thursday on charges of larceny and burglary, police said.

— ruth bruno, courant.com, "Hamden Police: Two Juveniles Steal Cars, Crash Into Police Cruiser," 29 June 2018
Police said the first charges stem from an Aug. 9, 2017, burglary of St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in the 4700 block of Whitehaven Parkway NW.

— Washington Post, "Police release video of man in sex assault," 29 June 2018
Instead, the 26-year-old was arrested by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office on charges of child abuse, kidnapping of a victim under the age of 13 and burglary of an occupied dwelling.

— david j. neal, miamiherald, "'I want your son.' Mom says man repeated that as he pulled at her 5-year-old," 28 June 2018
Her criminal history includes other instances of assault with a deadly weapon and burglary.

— lyndsay winkley, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego's Wanted: Assault with a deadly weapon," 28 June 2018
Isaac Leturgez and Anthony Wells, both 21 from Middletown, were charged with aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary, according to a police report.

— rick mccrabb, ajc, "Police report ‘spike’ in home invasions after photos of cash posted on social media," 27 June 2018
Wayne Newton has opened up about the string of burglaries that have taken place over the past few months at his Las Vegas home.

— alessandra rincón, Billboard, "Wayne Newton Reacts to Burglaries at Las Vegas Home: 'I'm as Angry as One Could Imagine'," 26 June 2018

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.

First Known Use of burglary

circa 1523

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

BURGLARY Defined for English Language Learners

burglary

noun

Definition of burglary for English Language Learners

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

BURGLARY Defined for Kids

burglary

noun bur·glary \ ˈbər-glə-rē \

Definition of burglary for Students

plural burglaries

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

Law Dictionary

burglary

noun bur·glary \ ˈbər-glə-rē \

legal Definition of burglary

plural burglaries

: 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.

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