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burglary Definition

bur·glary (bʉrglə rē)

noun pl. -·ries

  1. the act of breaking into a house at night to commit theft or other felony
  2. the act of breaking into any building at any time to commit theft, some other felony, or a misdemeanor

Etymology: burglar + -y

burglary Synonyms

burglary

n.

theft, housebreaking, stealing, robbery; see crime 2, theft. See syn. study at theft.

burglary Law Definition

n

The common-law offense of forcibly entering a dwelling at night to commit a felony therein.

v

Under many modern statutes, the act of breaking and entering into any building at any time with the intent to commit a felony (or, in some states, a felony or petit larceny and, in other states, any crime) therein. See also larceny and robbery.
burglary Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • aggravate: In the offense of aggravated burglary, the words will normally mean " carrying " .
  • shoplift: This group of criminally involved problem users commits very large amounts of shoplifting, burglary and other crime to finance drug purchases.
  • bungle: Both witness to a bungled burglary, they are unknowingly being hunted by a hit man.
  • commit: I have evidence of his committing burglary, signed by a most eminent English curate.
  • investigate: Should Barry Greenwood have been arrested while investigating a burglary?

Preposition: in

  • dwelling: Recorded vehicle crime fell by 30 per cent, and burglary in dwellings fell by 24 per cent between 1990 and 2003-4.

Adjective modifier

  • attempted: Term 18. requires the tenant to inform the landlord ' immediately ' of any outbreak of fire, burglary or attempted burglary.
  • domestic: The target by the end of Year 5 is to reduce domestic burglary by 10 % from 2003/04.
  • non-residential: A study in Merseyside found that 21.4 % of all non-residential burglaries were repeats a much higher level than for residential addresses.
  • non-domestic: Non-Domestic Burglary The number of recorded Non-domestic burglaries have fallen by 31 % over the last three years.
  • suspected: If this is a suspected burglary then call 999 ).
  • residential: The recent increase in residential burglary is from a 20-year low, for the year April 2000 to March 2001.

Modifies a noun

  • dwelling: Percentage of public satisfied with police initial response to a report of burglary dwelling.
  • hotspot: By 2007 we will have installed digital door entry systems in all flatted estates and have concierge units in burglary hotspots.
  • victim: High Praise For Quick Response The speedy response by NYP to a 999 call has been praised by a burglary victim.
  • offense: Police from Forest & Gloucester Division arrested two burglars during July who between them had committed 19 non dwelling burglary offenses.

Noun used with modifier

  • distraction: We also watched a video about bogus callers or distraction burglary.
  • sneak-in: He discusses the problem of the sneak-in thief and how big an issue sneak-in burglaries are in our area.
  • artifice: Artifice burglaries - whereby the elderly are targeted by ' tricksters ' - are now starting to reoccur locally.
  • dwelling: Then I got a 21 month prison sentence for a dwelling house burglary which I'd done to get money to buy heroin.

Browse dictionary entries near burglary

  1. burglarize
  2. burglarious
  3. burglar alarm circuit
  4. burglar
  5. Burghley
  6. burgher
  7. -burgh
  8. burgh
  9. burgess
  10. -burger
  1. burgle
  2. burgomaster
  3. burgonet
  4. burgoo
  5. Burgos
  6. Burgoyne
  7. Burgundy
  8. burial
  9. burial ground
  10. burier