Burglary

"Burglar" redirects here. For other uses, see Burglar (disambiguation).
"Breaking and Entering" redirects here. For other uses, see Breaking and Entering (disambiguation).
"Cat burglar" redirects here. For other uses, see cat burglar (disambiguation).
"Burgling" redirects here. For the Peep Show episode, see Burgling (Peep Show).
Criminal law
Elements
Scope of criminal liability
Severity of offense
Inchoate offenses
Offense against the person
Sexual offenses
Crimes against property
Crimes against justice
Crimes against the public
Crimes against animals
Crimes against the state
Defenses to liability
Other common-law areas
Portals

Burglary, also called breaking and entering (B&E)[1] and housebreaking,[2][3] is the act of illegally entering a building or other areas without permission, typically with the intention of committing a further criminal offence. Usually that offence is theft, larceny, robbery, or murder, but most jurisdictions include others within the ambit of burglary. To commit burglary is to burgle,[4] a term back-formed from the word burglar, or to burglarize.[5][4]

  1. ^ Cromwell, Paul F. (1991). Breaking and entering : an ethnographic analysis of burglary. Newbury Park, Calif.: Sage Publications. ISBN 9780803940260.
  2. ^ Hunter, D.B. (1956). "Burglary, Housebreaking, and Unlawful Entry". The JAG Journal. 1956: 11.
  3. ^ "Index of legal terms and offences libelled". Archived May 30, 2012, at the Wayback Machine National Archives of Scotland. Retrieved 7 August 2010.
  4. ^ a b "Do Burglars 'Burgle' or 'Burglarize'?". www.merriam-webster.com. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  5. ^ Garner, Bryan A. (1995). A dictionary of modern legal usage (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 122. ISBN 9780195142365.