infringement

American  

[in-frinj-muhnt] / ɪnˈfrɪndʒ mənt /

noun

• infringements
  plural

1. a breach or infraction, as of a law, right, or obligation; violation; transgression.

2. an act of infringing.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• infringements
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of infringement

First recorded in 1585–95; infringe + -ment

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Explanation

An infringement is a minor offense that involves breaking a rule or a law. If your sister takes a chapter from your book and publishes it as her own, you could sue her for copyright infringement. An infringement can result in legal penalties if you’re breaking a law, as in the case of a copyright infringement or a patent infringement. An infringement can also be a violation of a rule or an agreement that applies in a specific situation. In that case there are no legal consequences, but there are still penalties. If the referee sees an infringement of the rules during your soccer game, he’ll penalize your team by awarding your opponents a free kick.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

infringement infringements

Sanofi said the it cooperated with the commission throughout the investigation, which ended without finding any infringement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

"Photographers use a watermark to protect the image from being copied, if that is removed that is copyright infringement," he said.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

Grammy winner Dean’s mellow love ballad “I’ve Seen It” is at the center of a copyright infringement case brought by the music group that oversees Withers’ catalog.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

"The unauthorised use of a performer's voice... can be considered an infringement on publicity rights," said presiding judge Aya Takahashi.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

Esso suspected copyright infringement and prepared several lawsuits, but in fact, an unknown resident had built “The Agloe General Store” at the intersection that appeared on the Esso map.

From "Paper Towns" by John Green

Companies that fail to comply with the DMA can be fined up to 10% of annual global revenue, or even up to 20% in case of repeated infringements.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

“There are some severe civil liberties infringements going on,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

Campaign groups have warned that the company's products pose risks related to mass surveillance, infringements on individual freedoms and data protection.

From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026

Then in the dying moments of normal time with England 46-45 ahead, the referee gave France the option of a penalty kick from either of two positions, following infringements by Trevor Davison and Maro Itoje.

From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026

He was continually marching Antonapoulos down to the courthouse during lunch hour to settle these infringements of the law.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

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Related Words

• infraction
• invasion
• transgression
• violation

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