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.

Allen suspects the burglars had visited the store and knew where the African grays were located.

From Los Angeles Times

The burglars’ capture by the police during their botched break-in at the Democratic Party headquarters on June 17, 1972, led to the exposure of a welter of illegal Nixonian operations, and eventually to Nixon’s downfall.

From Washington Post

“They’re the ones that did the break-in. There’s no Watergate break in without the burglars,” said director David Mandel, almost incredulous that their story has been so relegated in prior on-screen Watergate adaptations.

From Washington Times

Cat burglar Harry has regularly brought home stolen goods including underwear, a pack of sausages and even a designer shoe over the past four years.

From BBC

As a 12-year-old, he recalled, he kept a BB gun in his bed after a night when burglars ransacked his sleeping family’s apartment.

From Washington Post

burglar

Frequently Asked Questions

Example Sentences

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