what's the difference between a BURGLAR and a THIEVE? I teache ESL and need to explain to my sts. I am not a

Question

native.

Answer 1

I believe a burglar would be someone who enters someone's home or business and steals from them. A thief will steal from anyone at any time no matter where they are such as a pickpocket, shoplifter, etc.

Answer 2

Um. The word is Thief. That is the noun. Thievery is the act of stealing. And you teach English, not teache.

Back to your original question.
A burglar may be a thief, but a thief is not necessarily a burglar. Burglary involves breaking into a premise -- a home, a store, etc. and stealing things that are inside the building. A thief is simply someone who steals. A thief may steal your purse as you are walking down the street. A plagiarist is a special kind of thief who steals your ideas and passes them off as his own. We speak of something as being a thief of time -- for example, spending endless hours on the internet.
So -- the quick answer is a thief is a person who steals things. A burglar is someone who enters a building and steals things.

The reason for the difference is that English law is especially hard on people who violate the sanctity of a man's home, so they regard burglary as a more heinous crime than simple theft.

Answer 3

Burglary is the entering of a residence or business with the plan to steal. the business can be open or closed. There can be people at the house or the occupants can be the gone. The purpose is to enter a dwelling to deprive the owner of their property.
A thief can steal anything, anywhere. There does not need to be a for thought or plan except " I can take it" The property can be as big as a car or as small as a wallet. it can be from a person or an object that has been left unattended.
The big difference is planning and entering. Did you plan to steal it and did you trespass to steal it. If you meet that criteria, you are a burglar.
If you did not plan the action and did not enter a building, you are a thief.

Answer 4

A burglar appears to be a more specific type of thief. While thief is simply anyone who steals. A burglar is someone who commits burglary, which is the felony of breaking into and entering the house of another at night (or day) with intent to steal.

Answer 5

Burglar= someone who steals from a residence ( house) when no one is around. The term is used (as a rule) to talk about someone who has stolen from a home or a place of business.

Thief= person who steals from individuals. Like a pick pocket or someone who steals because it is easy.(for them at least).. the purse is there...so they take it. A thief can be a burglar.

Answer 6

A burglar breaks into houses or buildings with the purpose of committing theft or harm to the building or occupants. However, I believe you can be convicted of burglary without stealing or harming.

A thief will steal anything, anywhere, from anyone!

Answer 7

I believe it is a burglar robs places such as stores and houses and a thief takes petty things when the opportunity arises instead of searching it out and going to all the extremes a burglar does.

Answer 8

A thief is a person who takes what does not belong to the thief.
A burglar is a person who enters, without permission, the home of another with the intention of commiting a crime there ... usually to take things of value.

thief pl thieves

Answer 9

you're an ESL teacher? whoa! be careful with your spelling, then. thief (singular) or thieves (plural). teach doesn't have an e at the end. i'm not trying to degrade you or something but a teacher should know more and be cautios enough with these grammatical issues.

anyway, a thief is a general term for those criminals who have the intent to steal while a burglar is a specific kind of thief who enters a building to steal something. well, they can actually be considered as synonyms.

Answer 10

Not positive but from my own understanding; a burglar is someone who robs homes in the night, whereas a thief steals any time, anyplace, such as a store or a gas station.