breach

American  

[breech] / britʃ /

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.

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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.

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.

breach British  

/ 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. an obsolete word for wound 1

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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

Usage

What does breach mean? A breach is a physical break or rupture, as in the hull of a ship. It also means a violation or infraction, as in a breach of trust. It can also be used as a verb referring to the action that leads to each of these things.Breach is often used in phrases like security breach, data breach, breach of trust, breach of etiquette, and breach of contract. Example: We view these ethical violations as an unforgivable breach of the public trust, and we call on the senator to resign.

Related Words

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.

Other Word Forms

• breacher noun
• nonbreach noun
• nonbreaching adjective
• unbreached adjective

Etymology

Origin of breach

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

Example Sentences

Both were suspended pending an investigation into the alleged breach of food hygiene standards.

From BBC

However, the other - Ganymede - is hoped to be in "pretty good condition" with "no sign of water breaching the vessel".

From BBC

Some lawmakers expressed concern that the "double-tap" strike breached the rules of engagement.

From BBC

Last week it emerged Angela Constance's remarks about Prof Alexis Jay are to be independently investigated to determine if they breached the ministerial code.

From BBC

This breach of privacy, paired with the dissolution of the organization after Rhodes’ sentencing, will help shape the group going forward.

From Salon

Related Words

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