trespass

American  

[tres-puhs, -pas] / ˈtrɛs pəs, -pæs /

noun

1. Law.

   1. an unlawful act causing injury to the person, property, or rights of another, committed with force or violence, actual or implied.

   2. a wrongful entry upon the lands of another.

   3. the action to recover damages for such an injury.

2. an encroachment or intrusion.

3. an offense, sin, or wrong.

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verb (used without object)

1. Law. to commit a trespass.

2. to encroach on a person's privacy, time, etc.; infringe (usually followed by on orupon ).

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

trespass British  

/ ˈtrɛspəs /

verb

1. to go or intrude (on the property, privacy, or preserves of another) with no right or permission

2. law to commit trespass, esp to enter wrongfully upon land belonging to another

3. archaic (often foll by against) to sin or transgress

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noun

1. law

   1. any unlawful act committed with force or violence, actual or implied, which causes injury to another person, his property, or his rights

   2. a wrongful entry upon another's land

   3. an action to recover damages for such injury or wrongful entry

2. an intrusion on another's privacy or preserves

3. a sin or offence

Related Words

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 Word Forms

• nontrespass noun
• trespasser noun
• untrespassed adjective
• untrespassing adjective

Etymology

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

Explanation

To trespass is to illegally enter someone's property or overstep your bounds in another way. Have you ever seen a "No trespassing" sign? If so, you probably know it means "Keep out" and that trespassing is to go somewhere unlawfully. If you break into a store that's closed or enter a stranger's yard, you're trespassing and could be arrested. Also, trespassing refer to other types of stepping over boundaries. If you lie to a friend, that's a type of trespassing. Taking advantage of someone is trespassing. Both kinds of trespassing are violations.

Example Sentences

Its goal was to limit state tort claims, like assault and trespass, against federal officials acting under federal authority.

From Slate • Apr. 15, 2026

A jury last year took their side, awarding more than $660 million in damages across three Greenpeace entities, citing charges including trespass, nuisance, conspiracy and deprivation of property access.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

He was taken into custody for trespass after warning, the report says.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2026

The man who removed a flag from the embassy's roof was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, trespass on diplomatic property and assaulting police, the Metropolitan Police said.

From BBC • Jan. 17, 2026

This trespass meant that no one must go inside the property because it was not public like a park, but private.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

Related Words

• encroach
• intrude
• invade
• misbehave
• overstep
• poach
• violate