Definition of BURGLE

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.

Frequently Asked Questions About burgle

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 burgle in a Sentence

someone burgled the lab when no one was there and let the animals out of their cages the neighbors returned from vacation to find that their house had been burgled

Recent Examples on the Web Todd’s Ice, located near Genova’s in the 140 Village Shopping Center in Westminster, has also been burgled — and more than once — according to owner Todd Asplen. — Jon Kelvey, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Westminster snowball stand owners report several recent burglaries: 'It drives you nuts’," 28 Aug. 2019 The unexpected disarray could have been the sign of a struggle, but Swearingen chalked it up to a break-in, and later filed a police report saying his home had been burgled while he was gone. — Keri Blakinger, Houston Chronicle, "‘Lord forgive ’em’: Larry Swearingen executed despite claims of innocence," 21 Aug. 2019 It was later revealed to belong to a MPD officer whose home was burgled in May this year. — Christopher Harress | Charress@al.com, al, "20-year-old charged with 3 counts of attempted murder after shootout with Mobile cops," 14 Aug. 2019 More recently came the Bling Ring, eight well-off young adults from Southern California who burgled jewels from the homes of a handful of young celebrities, including Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and Megan Fox. — Eric Konigsberg, Town & Country, "Old School Jewelry Heists Are on the Rise—And Celebrities Are the Target," 12 Apr. 2018 Russia has more than twice the number of intentional homicides than the US, but Americans are over five times more likely to be burgled and over 14 times more likely to be assaulted, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. — Henrik Pettersson, CNN, "Russia vs. US: Where is life better?," 14 Mar. 2018 West Brom winger James McClean has caused a stir on social media by lambasting a Twitter troll who revelled in the fact that he was recently burgled. — SI.com, "West Brom Winger James McClean Lays Into Twitter Troll Who Rejoiced Over His Recent Burglary," 7 Jan. 2018 He is also charged with burgling Woods' apartment two weeks earlier, court records show. — Cory Shaffer, cleveland.com, "Cleveland man beaten at former Saint Maron's rectory says he could have shot burglars," 5 Jan. 2018 He was charged under the Espionage Act and faced 115 years imprisonment, but the case ended in a mistrial because the government illegally gathered evidence (by, among other tactics, burgling his psychiatrist’s office). — Sam Roberts, New York Times, "Who’s Who in ‘The Post’: A Guide to the Players in a Pivotal Era," 25 Dec. 2017

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