transgression
Americannoun
noun
-
a breach of a law, etc; sin or crime
-
the act or an instance of transgressing
Related Words
See breach.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of transgression
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin trānsgressiōn-, stem of trānsgressiō “passage across, transition, violation”; equivalent to transgress + -ion
Explanation
A transgression is something that is against a command or law. Whether you are cheating on a test, or cheating on a spouse, you are committing transgressions that are not easily forgiven. A transgression can be a failure to do your duty. A sin is a transgression against God. The noun transgression is from Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin "act of crossing, passing over," from transgredi "to step or pass over."
Vocabulary lists containing transgression
The Giver
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List 1
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Power Prefix: trans-
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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.
"These attacks represent a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable transgression," the UAE's foreign ministry said, adding that the country reserves the "right to respond".
From Barron's • May 4, 2026
In L.A. political circles, however, it will be viewed as a transgression, at least in the short term, he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2026
The result is a devastating work of scholarship that commits the ultimate transgression of failing to include the trigger warnings so cherished by the targets of the author’s indictment.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026
A second transgression for Van der Mescht on 50 minutes, when he went high on a dipping Boeta Chamberlain, earned a second yellow and a 20-minute red to give a second window for Red Bulls.
From BBC • Oct. 17, 2025
Most of all, he was doing the spiritual work to cleanse his transgression.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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.
