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:
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
Lawmakers plainly intended to let inmates sue for damages when correctional officers infringe on their religious liberty.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 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
“Cox did not induce or encourage its subscribers to infringe in any manner,” he wrote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 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
Civil-rights lawyers and former DHS staffers see it differently and say the system infringes free speech.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
"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
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
The lawsuit asserts that any ban on mandatory meetings infringes the employers’ free-speech rights as enshrined in the 1st Amendment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2025
The formula of justice may be expressed thus: "Every man is free to do that which he wills, provided he infringes not the equal freedom of any other man."
From A Review of the Systems of Ethics Founded on the Theory of Evolution by C. M. Williams
Some felt it infringed on their sense of nostalgia.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Sony is seeking up to $150,000 per work infringed or the actual amount of damages or Udio’s profits made from the infringement, as well as other damages and costs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 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
The lawsuits allege that Tower infringed on 11 GlobalFoundries’ patents in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026
“There can be no lighter topics when human rights are being infringed upon.”
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
SConnect said all infringing videos were removed, and that Wolfoo animations made after mid-2020 used only voices and sounds that were created in-house.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
They were controversial events because some were staged in Europe, infringing on territory that had previously been the traditional domain of the DP World Tour.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
“Secure ballot envelope identifiers provide a reliable, auditable mechanism to enforce Federal law without unduly burdening or infringing on the rights of eligible voters,” the order reads.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 31, 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
I relied on Wolfie to procure reading material for me and I fear that I took over his life, infringing on both his work and pleasure.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
