burglar
gb/bˈɚɡlɚ/ us/bˈɚɡlɚ/
B1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
role
1
person who breaks in to steal
A burglar is someone who goes into a building illegally to steal.
Usage pattern:
a burglar breaks into [a house/building]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse burglar with robber; a robber uses force or threats, while a burglar usually steals by breaking in when people are not present.
Synonyms
thief (More general; a thief may steal without breaking in.)
|
housebreaker (More formal (especially in BrE); emphasizes breaking into a house.)
Antonyms
law-abiding citizen (A person who does not commit crimes such as burglary.)
Collocations
catch a burglar
|a burglar broke in
|a masked burglar
|a suspected burglar
|a convicted burglar
|a burglar climbed through a window
|a burglar entered the house
|burglaries and burglars
|protect your home from burglars
|burglar alarm
Themes
crime
|law
|home
|security
Examples
- The burglar broke a back window and took a laptop and some jewelry.
- Police caught the burglar as he tried to climb over the fence.
- She installed extra locks after a burglar entered the building at night.
Learner examples
- A burglar came into our house to steal.
- The police arrested the burglar.
Noun
legal
C1
role
2
person guilty of burglary (legal)
In law, a burglar is a person who commits the crime of burglary.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is charged/convicted as a burglar
Common mistake:
In legal contexts, burglary may include intent to commit crimes other than theft; learners may assume it always means stealing.
Synonyms
offender (More general legal term; not specific to burglary.)
|
intruder (Emphasizes unlawful entry; may not involve intent to commit a further crime.)
Antonyms
property owner (Not a true opposite in meaning, but contrasts with the person whose premises are unlawfully entered.)
Collocations
charged as a burglar
|convicted burglar
|sentenced as a burglar
|repeat burglar
|known burglar
|identified the burglar
|burglar entered unlawfully
|the burglar's intent
|burglars and accomplices
|arrested the burglar
Themes
law
|crime
|legal
Examples
- The defendant was convicted as a burglar under state law.
- Prosecutors argued that the burglar entered with intent to commit a felony inside.
- The court treated him as a repeat burglar and increased the sentence.
Learner examples
- In court, he was called a burglar.
- The burglar was convicted.
Grammar
Expressions
burglar alarm
1/bˈɚɡlɚ əlˈɑɹm/
fixed phrase
alarm that warns of break-ins
A burglar alarm is a system that makes a loud sound (or sends an alert) if someone breaks in.
Examples
- We set the burglar alarm before we left the house.
- The burglar alarm went off at 2 a.m., and the neighbors called the police.
- She had a burglar alarm installed after a break-in on her street.
burglar bars
1/bˈɚɡlɚ bˈɑɹz/
fixed phrase
metal bars to stop burglars
Burglar bars are metal bars on windows to stop someone breaking in.
Examples
- They installed burglar bars on the ground-floor windows.
- The landlord refused to remove the burglar bars after the neighborhood became safer.
- Burglar bars can improve security, but they may be a fire-safety concern if exits are blocked.
burglar-proof
1/bˈɚɡlɚ pɹˈuf/
fixed phrase
designed to prevent break-ins
Burglar-proof means very hard for a burglar to break into.
Examples
- They advertised the safe as burglar-proof, but it was still stolen.
- We replaced the old lock with a burglar-proof door system.
- No home is completely burglar-proof, but good lighting helps.
cat burglar
1/kˈæt bˈɚɡlɚ/
fixed phrase
informal
skilled burglar who moves quietly
A cat burglar is a very quiet, skilled burglar.
Examples
- The museum increased security after a cat burglar stole a valuable watch.
- He was known as a cat burglar because he could climb to upper-floor windows.
- The film’s villain is a cat burglar who never leaves fingerprints.
would-be burglar
1/wˈʊd bˈi bˈɚɡlɚ/
fixed phrase
person attempting to burgle
A would-be burglar is someone who tries to break in and steal.
Examples
- A neighbor confronted a would-be burglar outside the garage.
- The dog scared off a would-be burglar before any damage was done.
- Security lights can deter a would-be burglar.