infringed
Americanadjective
-
violated, transgressed, or encroached upon, as a regulation, restriction, or right.
The costs of enforcing an infringed patent can be exceedingly high.
He complained that CCTV was an ever more common security measure for which we all pay the price of infringed privacy.
-
illegally copied, distributed, or sold, as in contravention of a copyright or patent.
A judge dismissed the lawsuit on the grounds that the allegedly infringed material lacked the requisite originality.
-
relating to or being someone whose copyright, patent, etc., has been violated.
When awarding damages, it must be considered how wealthy the infringed company could have been without the infringement.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of infringed
First recorded in 1590–1600; 1955–60 infringed for def. 2; infringe + -ed 2 for the adjective senses; infringe + -ed 1 for the verb sense
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.
Some felt it infringed on their sense of nostalgia.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Sony Music Entertainment on Monday filed a new lawsuit against artificial intelligence startup Udio, alleging it infringed on more than 30,000 recordings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
The lawsuit claimed the invention infringed on Edison’s own work—a familiar maneuver in an era when patent law functioned as both shield and weapon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026
Caf added that "through the conduct of its team" Senegal infringed on Article 82 of regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations and as a result Article 84 became applicable.
From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2026
“All revival falls under the auspices of the Thunderhead, and we are here to make sure its domain is not infringed upon.”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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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.