Meanings
- uncountablelawThe crime of gaining unauthorized entry into another's property, usually by breaking part of a building (a lock, door, window, etc.)
Near-synonyms: break-in, housebreaking, shopbreaking
Synonyms: break-in, housebreaking, shopbreaking
- gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of break and enter
Near-synonym: breaking in
Synonyms: breaking in
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe crime of gaining unauthorized entry into another's property, usually by breaking part of a building (a lock, door, window, etc.)
More synonyms by meaning
nountrespassing for an unlawful purpose; illegal entrance into premises with criminal intent
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 強行闖入 /强行闯入, 強行入室 /强行入室
- 強行闖入 /强行闯入 (qiángxíng chuǎngrù)crime
- 強行入室 /强行入室 (qiángxíng rùshì)crime
Finnish murto, murtautuminen
- murtocrime
- murtautuminencrime
French entrée par effraction, introduction par effraction
- entrée par effractioncrime
- introduction par effractioncrime
German Einbruch
- Einbruchcrime
Hebrew פְּרִיצָה
- פְּרִיצָה (pritzá)crime
Malay pecah masuk
- pecah masukcrime
Russian взлом и проникново́ние
- взлом и проникново́ние (vzlom i proniknovónije)crime
Cite this entry
breaking and entering. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/breaking%20and%20entering
“breaking and entering.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/breaking%20and%20entering. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “breaking and entering,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/breaking%20and%20entering.
Source: breaking and entering on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.