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burglary

burglary

155 3.0
Entering a building without permission to steal things
  • noun
  • /ˈbɜrɡləri/
translation icon : robo
  • The police reported a burglary at the local jewelry store late last night.
  • commit a burglary
  • burglary and theft
  • residential burglary

But the most important thing to notice if you're if you're committing A burglary, you're a burglar.

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Examples

  • The first involved the burglary of a European home, which the magistrate tried in his court.

    Academic text (2005)
  • There was a burglary on Mason Street, about four blocks from here.

  • Planning this burglary was a great idea.

  • And are all five gentlemen charged with burglary, second degree?

  • - A burglary gone wrong?

  • One year later, she appears to stage a burglary at her grandparents house.

  • In 2011, residents of the neighborhood began to report an increasing number of burglaries to the police.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Zimmerman believes the subject is involved in recent burglaries in the neighborhood.

    Academic text (2017)
  • "Well, perhaps one," she sighed, and started telling me about a string of burglaries in the neighborhood.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • After the recent burglary in their neighborhood, residents are becoming more vigilant.

Synonyms

break-in
vsburglary
83 3.9

An illegal entry into a building to steal or damage things

focuses on entry into buildings specifically rather than any premises
36 5.6

To illegally enter a building by force to steal things

does not require force and covers illegal entry with criminal intent
housebreaking
vsburglary
  • UK
1 8.2

An illegal entry into a building to steal things or commit a crime

applies to illegal entry of any building not only private homes

Antonyms

408 2.4

The feeling of being safe from danger or threat

How Serious

home invasion
  • NSFW
23 5.9
burglary
155 3.0
trespass
22 4.7

Surface Forms

burglary singular
burglaries plural

Morphology

burglary = burglar (transparent) = burglar + y

The noun denotes the act associated with a 'burglar' (person → action), a direct and regular derivation understandable by learners.

Etymology

The word burglary comes from burglar, which comes from burg meaning 'town' or 'fort'. A burglar was someone who broke into a house to steal, so burglary means entering a building illegally to commit a crime.