burglar vs. thief

[jokaec]

The "burglar" and "thief" broke into his house and stole the whole safe box during his vacation. He reported the burglary to the police when he came back.

Are "burglar" and "thief" the same in AmE? If so, which one is more common in colloquial AmE? Thank you.

 

[Florentia52]

Did you search first, jokaec?

Here are some definitions from the WR dictionary:

bur•gla•ry/ˈbɝgləri/n., pl. -ries.

1. Lawthe crime of breaking into and entering the house, office, etc., of another to steal:[uncountable]was found guilty of burglary.[countable]over fifty burglaries in three months.

thief/θif/n. [countable],pl. thieves/θivz/

1. one who steals, esp. secretly.

And here is a helpful thread:

Burglar, Thief, Robber...???

If these do not answer your question, feel free to join the conversation in any relevant thread. This thread is closed.

Florentia52
English Only moderator