Burglar

How to spell burglar

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce burglar

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does burglar mean?

1. nounA person who breaks into a building in order to steal.

Burglar in a sentence

• The burglar forced the back window while the family was on holiday.

• A quick-thinking neighbour reported the burglar to the police.

Where does burglar come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word reaches English through the law courts rather than ordinary speech, which is why its spelling looks slightly odd. It comes from the medieval Anglo-Latin burglator and the related Anglo-French burgler, terms coined in the 1200s and 1300s for someone who broke into a house. Behind these forms lies an old root meaning a fortified dwelling or town, the same idea preserved in the English word 'borough' and in the Germanic 'burg' that ends so many place names. The criminal sense narrowed over time to the specific act of breaking and entering a building with intent to steal. Interestingly, the verb 'to burgle' did not exist first; it was reverse-engineered from 'burglar' centuries later as a back-formation, which is why the noun, ending in -ar rather than the more common -er, is the more historically authentic spelling.

How the word is built

• burgl- (from Anglo-Latin burglator, one who breaks into a dwelling)
• -ar (agent suffix: one who does)