breach

[ breech ]

noun

1. the act or a result of breaking; a break or rupture:

   Many districts were flooded by the river after a breach in an embankment upstream.

   Synonyms: fracture

2. an infraction or violation, such as of a law, contract, trust, or promise:

   If there is a breach of the warranty, we are not liable for damage.

3. a gap made in a wall, fortification, line of soldiers, etc.; rift; fissure:

   A breach in the castle walls gave the enemy an entrance.

   Synonyms: opening, rent, crack

4. Digital Technology. the unauthorized acquisition, use, or disclosure of customers' or users' personal data:

   There's no indication of a data breach affecting credit card information.

5. a severance of friendly relations.

   Synonyms: dissension, separation, schism, rift, split, alienation

6. the leap of a whale above the surface of the water.
7. Archaic. the breaking of waves; the dashing of surf.
8. Obsolete. wound ¹( def ).

verb (used with object)

1. to make a rupture or opening in:

   We need new ways to recover salmon without breaching the dams.

2. to break or act contrary to (a law, promise, etc.):

   The plaintiff alleges that the defendant has breached the terms of their license.

verb (used without object)

1. (of a whale) to leap partly or completely out of the water, head first, and land on the back or belly with a resounding splash.

breach

/ briːtʃ /

noun

1. a crack, break, or rupture
2. a breaking, infringement, or violation of a promise, obligation, etc
3. any severance or separation

   there was a breach between the two factions of the party

4. a gap in an enemy's fortifications or line of defence created by bombardment or attack
5. the act of a whale in breaking clear of the water
6. the breaking of sea waves on a shore or rock
7. See wound
   an obsolete word for wound 1

verb

1. tr to break through or make an opening, hole, or incursion in
2. tr to break a promise, law, etc
3. intr (of a whale) to break clear of the water

Other Words From

• breach·er noun
• non·breach noun
• non·breach·ing adjective
• un·breached adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of breach¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English breche, Old English bræc “breaking”; break ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of breach¹

Old English bræc ; influenced by Old French brèche , from Old High German brecha , from brechan to break

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. more honored in the breach (than the observance),
   1. (of a rule, law, custom, etc.) frequently ignored or rarely carried out:

      Courtly love was just an ideal, more honored in the breach than the observance.

      Even the best advice may be more honored in the breach.

   2. (of a rule, law, custom, etc.) unjust or ignoble to the point of being better to ignore:

      They agreed that the promises made to their unfit leader would be more honored in the breach than the observance.

Synonym Study

Breach, infraction, violation, transgression all denote in some way the breaking of a rule or law or the upsetting of a normal and desired state. Breach is used infrequently in reference to laws or rules, more often in connection with desirable conditions or states of affairs: a breach of the peace, of good manners, of courtesy. Infraction most often refers to clearly formulated rules or laws: an infraction of the criminal code, of university regulations, of a labor contract. Violation, a stronger term than either of the preceding two, often suggests intentional, even forceful or aggressive, refusal to obey the law or to respect the rights of others: repeated violations of parking regulations; a human rights violation. Transgression, with its root sense of “a stepping across (of a boundary of some sort),” applies to any behavior that exceeds the limits imposed by a law, especially a moral law, a commandment, or an order; it often implies sinful behavior: a serious transgression of social customs, of God's commandments.

Example Sentences

This breach is an extraordinary emotional drag on the exhausted population.

From The Daily Beast

The FBI and the President may claim that the Hermit Kingdom is to blame for the most high-profile network breach in forever.

From The Daily Beast

Good old Sir Bob Geldof stepping into the breach again to raise money for crisis-hit Africa?

From The Daily Beast

As mentioned, Yahoo has a black stain on its collaboration and severe breach of privacy.

From The Daily Beast

But while progressive attempts to address the class divide have been less than successful, can the Republicans fill the breach?

From The Daily Beast

After an eight weeks' siege, a breach having been made, the city surrendered, and a month later the fort followed the example.

From Project Gutenberg

While secretly countenancing every attack on the Marshal, the Emperor, for family reasons, was loth to come to an open breach.

From Project Gutenberg

This decision meant a complete reversal of Swedish foreign policy and a breach with France.

From Project Gutenberg

They had reached the foot of the breach, when the fire of the town suddenly ceased.

From Project Gutenberg

The place must be battered until a breach was made, and stormed à la Turque.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• contravention
• dereliction
• disregard
• infraction
• infringement
• neglect
• noncompliance
• offense
• transgression
• violation