infringe
Americanverb (used with object)
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infringes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
infringed,
past participle, past
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infringing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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infringes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
infringed,
past participle, past
-
infringing
present participle
verb
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(tr) to violate or break (a law, an agreement, etc)
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(intr; foll by on or upon) to encroach or trespass
Synonym Usage
See trespass.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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infringesimple
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infringessimple
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have infringedperfect
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has infringedperfect
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am infringingprogressive
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are infringingprogressive
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is infringingprogressive
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have been infringingperfect progressive
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has been infringingperfect progressive
Past
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infringedsimple
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had infringedperfect
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was infringingprogressive
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were infringingprogressive
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had been infringingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of infringe
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin infringere “to break, weaken,” equivalent to in- in- 2 + -fringere, combining form of frangere “to break”; akin to break
Explanation
When you infringe on someone's space, time, or rights, you're getting involved in a way that is not cool. That's why, when you violate a copyright, you're said to infringe upon it. Infringe is almost always used with the prepositions "on" or "upon," as in, "if you infringe on my rights, I'll sue you." Nobody knows why that's the case. Our language is full of rules and traditions that just are the way they are. We call these phrases "idiomatic." To infringe "on" or "upon" something is one of those. You don't infringe "into" someone's conversation. You infringe "upon" it. Case closed.
Vocabulary lists containing infringe
The Bill of Rights
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List 6
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Vocabulary from The Articles of Confederation
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In a statement, Amazon said the retailer has a verification process for authorized sellers and removes listings that infringe trademarks and copyrights.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
From what you’re saying, this won’t infringe upon your values and would make you a more efficient worker.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
It said the intervention was needed to prevent "serious and irreparable harm to competition in this growing market by Meta's conduct", which it said appeared to infringe EU competition rules.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
Arguably worse, he tries to stop RIH from “aiding,” “abetting,” or “encouraging” anyone else from asking these courts for help, reaching far beyond the hospital to infringe upon the rights of nonparties.
From Slate ● May 19, 2026
Back when he was thinking about getting married, he worried that taking walks with his wife would infringe on his work time.
From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman
"This will prevent serious and irreparable harm to competition in this growing market by Meta's conduct, which at first sight infringes EU competition rules," the commission said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
“We stand against any move that violates the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter and infringes upon other countries’ sovereignty and security,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 1, 2026
However, in Skrmetti, the court denied a petition by minors and their parents that argued the ban also infringes on parental rights protected under the due process clause.
From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2025
Palworld "infringes multiple patent rights", Nintendo and The Pokémon Company said in statements posted on their websites.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2024
Modern legislation, especially social and industrial legislation, infringes common law rights at every point.
From The New Irish Constitution by J. H. Morgan
Some felt it infringed on their sense of nostalgia.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
China's commerce ministry said on Friday that the moves "seriously infringed upon Jingye's legitimate rights and interests and severely undermined the confidence of Chinese companies investing in the UK".
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
District Judge Aileen Cannon agreed, reiterating that “the allegedly infringed material — basic ideas, themes, metaphors, isolated words, and short phrases — is not protected expression and cannot be infringed.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
The lawsuit claimed the invention infringed on Edison’s own work—a familiar maneuver in an era when patent law functioned as both shield and weapon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026
Lawrence was predictably incensed by the implication that his patent claims might have infringed Caltech’s claim to primacy.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
The new lawsuit increases the number of copyrighted recordings Sony is accusing Udio of infringing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
According to the 30-year-old singer's legal team, Samsung apparently ignored "repeated demands" to "cease and desist from infringing on her rights".
From BBC ● May 10, 2026
The drugmakers accused Moderna of infringing on several patents covering lipid nanoparticle technology, which is a critical component of Moderna’s mRNA vaccines.
From Barron's ● Mar. 4, 2026
The Motion Picture Association, which represents major US studios like Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount and Netflix, has demanded that the tool "immediately cease its infringing activity".
From BBC ● Feb. 15, 2026
Most people in our community are decent, hardworking citizens who pursue their own interests legally and without infringing on the rights of others.
From "Monster" by Walter Dean Myers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
