trespass

[ tres-puhs, -pas ]

See synonyms for: trespass trespassing trespasser on Thesaurus.com

noun

Law.
- an unlawful act causing injury to the person, property, or rights of another, committed with force or violence, actual or implied.
- a wrongful entry upon the lands of another.
- the action to recover damages for such an injury.
an encroachment or intrusion.

an offense, sin, or wrong.

verb (used without object)

Law. to commit a trespass.
to encroach on a person's privacy, time, etc.; infringe (usually followed by on or upon).

to commit a transgression or offense; transgress; offend; sin.

Origin of trespass

First recorded in 1250–1300; (noun) Middle English trespas “transgression, offense,” from Old French, derivative of trespasser, equivalent to tres- (from Latin trāns-trans-) + passer “to pass” (see pass); (verb) Middle English trespassen, derivative of the noun

synonym study For trespass

4, 5. Trespass , encroach , infringe , intrude imply overstepping boundaries and assuming possession of others' property or crowding onto the right of others. To trespass is to pass unlawfully within the boundaries of another's property: Hunters trespass on a farmer's fields. To encroach is to creep, gradually and often stealthily, upon territory, rights, or privileges, so that a footing is imperceptibly established: The sea slowly encroached upon the land. To infringe is to break in upon or invade rights, customs, or the like, by violating or disregarding them: to infringe upon a patent. To intrude is to thrust oneself into the presence of a person or into places or circumstances where one is not welcome: to intrude into a private conversation.

Other words from trespass

tres·pass·er, noun
non·tres·pass, noun
un·tres·passed, adjective
un·tres·pass·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use trespass in a sentence

They were shipping a lion to San Francisco, and the roaring and confusion were all very satisfactory to the trespasser.
The Adventures of Kathlyn | Harold MacGrath
It should require that the trespasser should pay for the entire subdivision trespassed upon.
Proceedings of the Second National Conservation Congress | Various
Then he lay in wait for the first trespasser, who chanced to be the vicar on his way to baptise a sick baby.
A Drake by George! | John Trevena
As soon as he saw the trespasser Hubbs went for his gun, and returning with it, shot the intruding pig.
Historic Adventures | Rupert S. Holland
Mr. Hill accordingly gave orders for punishing the fox, as an original trespasser, which was done instantly.
The Book of Three Hundred Anecdotes | Various

British Dictionary definitions for trespass

trespass

/ (ˈtrɛspəs) /

verb(intr)

(often foll by on or upon) to go or intrude (on the property, privacy, or preserves of another) with no right or permission
law to commit trespass, esp to enter wrongfully upon land belonging to another

archaic (often foll by against) to sin or transgress

noun

law
- any unlawful act committed with force or violence, actual or implied, which causes injury to another person, his property, or his rights
- a wrongful entry upon another's land
- an action to recover damages for such injury or wrongful entry
an intrusion on another's privacy or preserves

a sin or offence

Origin of trespass

C13: from Old French trespas a passage, from trespasser to pass through, from tres- trans- + passer, ultimately from Latin passus a pace 1

Derived forms of trespass

trespasser, noun

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

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