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Definitions

burglar

[bur-gler] / ˈbɜr glər /
NOUN
person who steals
Synonyms
STRONGEST
crook robber thief
STRONG
housebreaker owl pilferer prowler safecracker
WEAK
cat burglar filcher midnighter picklock porch climber sneakthief

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another name for a burglar?
The word burglar specifically refers to someone who commits burglary—the crime of breaking into a place to steal things. A burglar is sometimes called a prowler. A particularly stealthy and skilled burglar is sometimes called a cat burglar. Antiquated words for burglar include housebreaker, sneakthief, and picklock. A burglar is a kind of thief, but the word thief is much more general. A house that has been burglarized can be said to have been robbed, but the word robber typically refers to someone who steals by using force, violence, or threats of force or violence. A person who specifically steals hamburgers is called a hamburglar.
What words are related to burglar?
The crime that a burglar commits is called burglary. In the US, the verb burglarize is used. In the UK, the verb is burgle. The adjective antiburglary is sometimes used to describe something designed to prevent burglaries, such as bars on windows or a burglar alarm (an electronic security system). A house with such things might be said to be burglarproof. The much rarer adjective burglarious means “pertaining to or involving burglary.”
How do you spell burglar?
Unlike a lot of words that refer to a person who performs a specific action (robber, farmer), burglar ends not in -er or -or but in -ar. The ending likely traces back to Latin origins, probably the verb burgāre, meaning “to thieve.”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

His father, Charles Whittaker, was a traveling salesman for a maker of burglar alarms and bank vaults.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

This meant they could avoid triggering some burglar alarm systems which only covered downstairs floors.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

But as any Argentine will tell you, you would have to be stupid to literally hide cash under your mattress—it’s the first place a burglar would look.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

After serving in the Army from 1966-68 in Vietnam, where he was wounded, he made his TV debut in 1971, playing a burglar alongside Cleavon Little in Norman Lear’s sitcom “All in the Family.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 31, 2026

If it was only one guy in there, the element of surprise might be enough to chase the burglar away.

From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer