Housebreaking Law and Legal Definition
House breaking literally means trespassing for an unlawful purpose; illegal entrance into premises with criminal intent. It is the act of entering a building as a trespasser for an unlawful purpose. House breaking is the act of breaking and entering into another's house to commit theft or some other felony. It is itself a felony.
In most states, housebreaking that occurs at night constitutes the crime of burglary. Some statutes expand the definition of housebreaking to include breaking out of a house after entry has been achieved without the use of physical force, such as when access was gained under false pretenses.