breach

[ breech ]

/ britʃ /

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See synonyms for: breach / breached / breaching on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

an infraction or violation, as of a law, trust, faith, or promise.

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

a severance of friendly relations.

the leap of a whale above the surface of the water.

Archaic. the breaking of waves; the dashing of surf.

Obsolete. wound¹.

verb (used with object)

to make a breach or opening in.

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

verb (used without object)

(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.

OTHER WORDS FOR breach

1 fracture.

3 crack, rent, opening.

4 alienation, split, rift, schism, separation; dissension.

See synonyms for breach on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of breach

before 1000; Middle English breche,Old English bræc breaking; see break

synonym study for breach

2. 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 WORDS FROM breach

breacher, nounnon·breach, nounnon·breach·ing, adjectiveun·breached, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH breach

breach , breech

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use breach in a sentence

We should eliminate this breach of privacy, as many other countries already have for obvious reasons.
America’s backwards privacy laws leave women vulnerable|jakemeth|October 12, 2020|Fortune
As foreigners pull back, he says, Americans will be forced to fill the breach by plowing trillions more of their savings into Treasuries.
The biggest economic threat facing the next administration: A weak dollar|Shawn Tully|October 11, 2020|Fortune
Charles Carmakal, chief technology officer of Mandiant, the data breach recovery unit at FireEye, a cybersecurity firm, said he knows of several companies that have paid extortion demands ranging from $10 million to $30 million.
Ransomware victims find themselves between a rock and a hard place|rhhackettfortune|October 2, 2020|Fortune
Most recently, a well-documented rise in data breaches, particularly during the pandemic, has underscored the need to deliver strong, embedded security with AIOps platforms.
AIOps uses AI, automation to boost security|Jason Sparapani|September 30, 2020|MIT Technology Review

Following a high-profile breach in July, Twitter has hired Rinki Sethi as its new chief information security officer.
After breach, Twitter hires a new cybersecurity chief|Zack Whittaker|September 30, 2020|TechCrunch
Lauren pleaded guilty to breaching the peace and being drunk on board a transatlantic Delta Air Lines flight.
Designer’s Niece In Yuppie Air Rage|Tom Sykes|January 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I repeat: For more than half of self-identified Republicans, breaching the debt limit is no big deal.
Do the Right Thing and End the Shutdown, Boehner|Jamelle Bouie|October 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Breaching the debt limit would trigger an economic shutdown of epic proportions.
Everything You Need to Know About the Looming Government Shutdown|The Daily Beast|September 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He was arrested on suspicion of breaching the peace and taken into police custody.
Tony Blair Testifies About Murdoch’s Influence|Mike Giglio|May 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
But it has condemned whoever is breaching the once-secret institution.
Who’s Behind the Leaked Letters Roiling the Vatican?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|February 26, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It was more than ever evident that a battalion of grenadiers and a couple of breaching pieces were what was needed.
The Exploits Of Brigadier Gerard|Arthur Conan Doyle
I used to be much amused in looking at a twelve-gun breaching-battery of theirs.
Adventures in the Rifle Brigade, in the Peninsula, France, and the Netherlands|J. Kincaid.
The community of cattle would be quiet and contented except for one breaching individual.
Revisiting the Earth|James Langdon Hill
A sea, breaching across from windward, settled the matter and sent them leaping over the rail in heaps.
The Jacket (The Star-Rover)|Jack London
The triangular works between the bastilions are described as “ramparts,” intended to protect the curtains from breaching fire.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 6|Various

British Dictionary definitions for breach

breach

/ (briːtʃ) /

noun

a crack, break, or rupture

a breaking, infringement, or violation of a promise, obligation, etc

any severance or separationthere was a breach between the two factions of the party

a gap in an enemy's fortifications or line of defence created by bombardment or attack

the act of a whale in breaking clear of the water

the breaking of sea waves on a shore or rock

an obsolete word for wound 1

verb

(tr) to break through or make an opening, hole, or incursion in

(tr) to break a promise, law, etc

(intr) (of a whale) to break clear of the water

Word Origin for breach

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

breach

OTHER WORDS FOR breach

Origin of breach

synonym study for breach

OTHER WORDS FROM breach

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH breach

Words related to breach

How to use breach in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for breach

Word Origin for breach