burglarize

verb

bur·​glar·​ize ˈbər-glə-ˌrīz 

 also  ˈbər-gə-lə-

burglarized; burglarizing

transitive verb

1

: to break into and steal from

burglarize a house

2

: to commit burglary against

intransitive verb

: to commit burglary

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a difference between burglarize and rob?

To burglarize is "to break into and enter of a building with the intent to commit a crime, often theft," whereas rob means " to take personal property from by violence or threat." Burglary need not entail violence or threat, and robbery need not entail breaking into a dwelling.

Is the verb form of burglary, burgle or burglarize?

The verb form of burglary can be either burglarize or burgle. "Burglarize," like many verb forms, is made by adding the suffix -ize, and this form is more common in American English. Burgle is a back-formation (a word formed by subtraction of a real or supposed affix from an already existing longer word), and is more common in British English. Both are widely accepted as correct.

Is burglarized a real word?

Yes, it is, and so is burgle. While both variants of the verb, burgle and burglarize, have been disparaged since they entered the language in the middle of the 19th century, both are real words, and both have come to be widely accepted.

Synonyms

• break in
• burgle

Examples of burglarize in a Sentence

the Watergate scandal began when Republican operatives burglarized the Democratic Party's headquarters in Washington, D.C.

before they were caught, the thieves had burglarized dozens of houses around the city

Recent Examples on the Web

In October, the homes of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce were burglarized, and other burglaries have targeted the NBA’s Luka Doncic, Mike Conley Jr. and Bobby Portis. —Eric Levenson, CNN, 10 Feb. 2025

In 2016, she was charged with snatching a purse and burglarizing a home in Orleans Parish, per court records. —Ben Brachfeld, People.com, 7 Feb. 2025

Reports surfaced following the finale that Strader had been arrested in 2017 on suspicion of burglarizing the house of an ex-girlfriend. —Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2025

Malkin returned to his home on Blackburn Road in the Pittsburgh suburb of Sewickley Heights on Saturday night following a game at PPG Paints Arena and discovered it had been burglarized, according to a statement from Allegheny County police. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

burglarize

verb

bur·​glar·​ize ˈbər-glə-ˌrīz 

burglarized; burglarizing

: to break into and steal from

burglarize a house

Legal Definition

burglarize

transitive verb

bur·​glar·​ize ˈbər-glə-ˌrīz 

burglarized; burglarizing

: to commit a burglary at

burglarized the apartment