infringe

[ in-frinj ]

/ ɪnˈfrɪndʒ /

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verb (used with object), in·fringed, in·fring·ing.

to commit a breach or infraction of; violate or transgress: to infringe a copyright; to infringe a rule.

verb (used without object), in·fringed, in·fring·ing.

to encroach or trespass (usually followed by on or upon): Don't infringe on his privacy.

Nearby words

Origin of infringe

1525–35; < Latin infringere to break, weaken, equivalent to in- in-² + -fringere, combining form of frangere to break

SYNONYMS FOR infringe

1. break, disobey. 2. poach. See trespass.

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Related formsin·fring·er, nounun·in·fringed, adjective

Can be confusedinfringe impinge

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for infringe

The election is on Tuesday and Freeman is rightfully concerned that his political views might infringe upon her chances.
Awkward: This Democratic Judicial Candidate's Husband Is a White Supremacist|Gideon Resnick|August 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
New York, Maryland, and Connecticut have passed reforms that do not infringe upon the right to bear arms.
Pro-Gun Absolutism: The Gun Lobby’s Push to Privatize Law and Order|Will Marshall|April 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Because this pragmatic nationalism should not at all infringe on their rights to live in safety and dignity.
Let Their People Come|Raphael Magarik|September 5, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Is it ethical to step outside the law for the greater good, or to infringe civil liberties as a means to an end?
What ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ Says About Killing and Gun Control|Will Brooker|July 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Or have we made it easier for governments to infringe on civil liberties, as the left argues?
How the Press Covers Torture|Raymond Bonner|July 6, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The effect of this bill goes to infringe all the State laws.
Abridgement of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856 (4 of 16 vol.)|Various
The imperturbable sentinel stood like a rock before the entrance: "My orders are precise," he said, "and I may not infringe them."
Paris and the Parisians in 1835 (Vol. 1 of 2)|Frances Milton Trollope
If it is in the village, it is fenced about, lest the foot of any rash intruder should infringe its sanctity.
The Belief in Immortality and the Worship of the Dead, Volume I (of 3)|Sir James George Frazer
His lordship does not limit their liberty; their liberty does not infringe his rights.
The Parables of Our Lord|William Arnot
Thus was confirmed the tradition, and no attempt has since been made to infringe the "Chowra monopoly."
Man, Past and Present|Agustus Henry Keane

British Dictionary definitions for infringe

infringe

/ (ɪnˈfrɪndʒ) /

verb

(tr) to violate or break (a law, an agreement, etc)

(intr; foll by on or upon) to encroach or trespass

Derived Formsinfringement, nouninfringer, noun

Word Origin for infringe

C16: from Latin infringere to break off, from frangere 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

Word Origin and History for infringe

infringe

mid-15c., enfrangen, "to violate," from Latin infringere "to damage, break off, break, bruise," from in- "in" (see in- (2)) + frangere "to break" (see fraction). Meaning of "encroach" first recorded c.1760. Related: Infringed; infringing.

infringe

verb (used with object), in·fringed, in·fring·ing.

verb (used without object), in·fringed, in·fring·ing.

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Nearby words

Origin of infringe

Examples from the Web for infringe

infringe

verb

Word Origin for infringe

infringe