infringement
Americannoun
-
a breach or infraction, as of a law, right, or obligation; violation; transgression.
-
an act of infringing.
Etymology
Origin of infringement
Explanation
An infringement is a minor offense that involves breaking a rule or a law. If your sister takes a chapter from your book and publishes it as her own, you could sue her for copyright infringement. An infringement can result in legal penalties if you’re breaking a law, as in the case of a copyright infringement or a patent infringement. An infringement can also be a violation of a rule or an agreement that applies in a specific situation. In that case there are no legal consequences, but there are still penalties. If the referee sees an infringement of the rules during your soccer game, he’ll penalize your team by awarding your opponents a free kick.
Vocabulary lists containing infringement
Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
“Vaccine Controversy Shows Why We Need Markets, Not Mandates” by Ron Paul
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for March 27–April 2, 2021
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The lawsuit includes allegations of copyright infringement, trademark infringement and misappropriation of Lipa's likeness and image.
From BBC • May 10, 2026
TV commercials showed construction workers jousting with FatMaxes, and Stanley sued copycat competitors for alleged patent infringement.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
But if they feed the AI program the nonprofit’s footage and ask it to manipulate it, that could make for an infringement claim.
From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026
A patient death during ERAS-0015 trials and a patent infringement lawsuit from Revolution Medicines also impacted Erasca.
From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026
Esso suspected copyright infringement and prepared several lawsuits, but in fact, an unknown resident had built “The Agloe General Store” at the intersection that appeared on the Esso map.
From "Paper Towns" by John Green
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.
