Burglary is the crime of entering a building illegally to steal things. A burglar breaks into homes, stores, or offices when no one is there, hoping to take valuables without being caught. Burglary is different from robbery: robbery involves threatening or harming people to steal from them, while burglary means sneaking into a place to steal.

The crime focuses on the illegal entry itself. Even if a burglar doesn't actually steal anything, breaking in with the intent to steal still counts as burglary. Most burglaries happen at night or when owners are away. Thieves might break windows, pick locks, or find unlocked doors to get inside.

To burglarize means to commit burglary against a place: “Someone burglarized the jewelry store last night.” A burgled building has been broken into: “We came home to find our house had been burgled.”