burglary
noun
Note: Most jurisdictions divide burglary into degrees or classes according to the seriousness of the crime. Various aggravating factors (such as whether the structure is a dwelling, the presence of people, and whether the person entering is armed with a deadly weapon or explosives) contribute to the seriousness of the crime.
Examples of burglary in a Sentence
Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 22 May 2026
Megan Edgington, 41, is charged with two counts of institutional vandalism and two counts of second-degree burglary in Jackson County Circuit Court.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 20 May 2026
Adding to that, the high costs of life in LA, the growing sense of the decline of life in tpratthe city, staggering homelessness, burglaries, boarded up store fronts and the inability to get anyone on 911 all appeared to overwhelm Bass.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 20 May 2026
The crew was suspected of committing multiple residential burglaries.
—Chelsea Hylton, CBS News, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for burglary
Cite this Entry
“Burglary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burglary. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
burglary
noun
Legal Definition
burglary
noun
Note: The crime of burglary was originally defined under the common law to protect people, since there were other laws (as those defining larceny and trespass) that protected property. State laws have broadened the common-law crime. Entering at night is often no longer required and may be considered an aggravating factor. The building may be something other than a dwelling, such as a store or pharmacy. Some states (as Louisiana) have included vehicles under their burglary statute. There are degrees of burglary, and some of the usual aggravating factors are the presence of people and use of a deadly weapon.
Anglo-French burglarie, modification of Medieval Latin burgaria, from burgare to break into (a house)
