noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈbɜː.ɡlə.ɹi/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:/ˈbɝ.ɡlɚ.i/
CMU ARPABET:B ER1 G L ER0 IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The crime of unlawfully breaking into a vehicle, house, store, or other enclosure with the intent to steal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The crime of unlawfully breaking into a vehicle, house, store, or other enclosure with the intent to steal.
Under the common law, breaking and entering of the dwelling of another at night with the intent to commit a felony.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The crime of unlawfully breaking into a vehicle, house, store, or other enclosure with the intent to steal.
Under the Model Penal Code, entering a building or occupied structure with purpose to commit a crime therein, unless the premises are at the time open to the public or the actor is licensed or privileged to enter.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, countable, uncountable
Topics: law
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
entering a building unlawfully with intent to commit a felony or to steal valuable property
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: felony
Narrower terms: housebreaking, break-in, breaking and entering
History
Etymology
From New Latin burglaria. Equivalent to burglar + -y. Displaced native Old English hūsbryċe (literally “house-breach”).
Across languages
Translations
40 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
سَطْو
(saṭw)
— the crime of breaking into
Arabic:
لُصُوصِيَّة
(luṣūṣiyya)
— the crime of breaking into
Belarusian:
крадзе́ж з узло́мам
(kradzjéž z uzlómam)
— the crime of breaking into
Bulgarian:
кражба чрез взлом
(kražba črez vzlom)
— the crime of breaking into
Catalan:
violació de domicili
— the crime of breaking into
Chinese Mandarin:
入室盜竊 /入室盗窃
(rùshì dàoqiè)
— the crime of breaking into
Czech:
vloupání
— the crime of breaking into
Danish:
indbrud
— the crime of breaking into
Dutch:
inbraak
— the crime of breaking into
Esperanto:
rompoŝtelo
— the crime of breaking into
Estonian:
vargus
— the crime of breaking into
Finnish:
murto
— the crime of breaking into
French:
cambriolage
— the crime of breaking into
Georgian:
გატეხით ქურდობა
(gaṭexit kurdoba)
— the crime of breaking into
German:
Einbruch
— the crime of breaking into
German:
Einbruchdiebstahl
— the crime of breaking into
Greek:
διάρρηξη
(diárrixi)
— the crime of breaking into
Hebrew:
פריצה
(pritza)
— the crime of breaking into
Icelandic:
innbrot
— the crime of breaking into
Ido:
rupto-furto
— the crime of breaking into
Irish:
buirgléireacht
— the crime of breaking into
Japanese:
侵入窃盗
(shinnyū settō)
— the crime of breaking into
Khmer:
ការលបចូលលួច
(kaa lɔɔp coul luəc)
— the crime of breaking into
Latin:
effractura
— the crime of breaking into
Latin:
compīlātiō
— the crime of breaking into
Norwegian Bokmål:
innbrudd
— the crime of breaking into
Norwegian Nynorsk:
innbrott
— the crime of breaking into
Old English:
hūsbryċe
— the crime of breaking into
Polish:
kradzież z włamaniem
— the crime of breaking into
Portuguese:
arrombamento
— the crime of breaking into
Russian:
кра́жа со взло́мом
(kráža so vzlómom)
— the crime of breaking into
Russian:
бе́рглэри
(bɛ́rglɛri)
— the crime of breaking into
Spanish:
allanamiento de morada
— the crime of breaking into
Spanish:
desvalijamiento
— the crime of breaking into
Spanish:
desvalijo
— the crime of breaking into
Swedish:
inbrott
— the crime of breaking into
Thai:
ขโมยเข้าบ้าน
— the crime of breaking into
Thai:
การโจรกรรม
— the crime of breaking into
Ukrainian:
краді́жка із зло́мом
(kradížka iz zlómom)
— the crime of breaking into
