infringe
Americanverb (used with object)
-
infringes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
infringed,
past participle, past
-
infringing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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infringes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
infringed,
past participle, past
-
infringing
present participle
verb
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(tr) to violate or break (a law, an agreement, etc)
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(intr; foll by on or upon) to encroach or trespass
Synonym Usage
See trespass.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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infringesimple
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infringessimple
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have infringedperfect
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has infringedperfect
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am infringingprogressive
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are infringingprogressive
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is infringingprogressive
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have been infringingperfect progressive
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has been infringingperfect progressive
Past
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infringedsimple
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had infringedperfect
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was infringingprogressive
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were infringingprogressive
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had been infringingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of infringe
First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin infringere “to break, weaken,” equivalent to in- in- 2 + -fringere, combining form of frangere “to break”; akin to break
Explanation
When you infringe on someone's space, time, or rights, you're getting involved in a way that is not cool. That's why, when you violate a copyright, you're said to infringe upon it. Infringe is almost always used with the prepositions "on" or "upon," as in, "if you infringe on my rights, I'll sue you." Nobody knows why that's the case. Our language is full of rules and traditions that just are the way they are. We call these phrases "idiomatic." To infringe "on" or "upon" something is one of those. You don't infringe "into" someone's conversation. You infringe "upon" it. Case closed.
Vocabulary lists containing infringe
The Bill of Rights
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List 6
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Vocabulary from The Articles of Confederation
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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.
See Examples For:
He added, “These deprivations, while grievous, do not infringe upon any deeply rooted constitutional right.”
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
In a statement, Amazon said the retailer has a verification process for authorized sellers and removes listings that infringe trademarks and copyrights.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
From what you’re saying, this won’t infringe upon your values and would make you a more efficient worker.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
Critics say the new reading requirements, which include Dickens and Shakespeare, infringe on religious freedoms and lack diversity.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
“This little treasure is all mine, gentlemen and ladies. Please, I beg you. Do not infringe on my discovery ” “Mr. Remorso,” said Despereaux.
From "The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread" by Kate DiCamillo
Sony and Universal also filed a new lawsuit last week alleging that Suno’s latest model still infringes on their copyrighted works.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
Civil-rights lawyers and former DHS staffers see it differently and say the system infringes free speech.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
"This will prevent serious and irreparable harm to competition in this growing market by Meta's conduct, which at first sight infringes EU competition rules," the commission said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
However, in Skrmetti, the court denied a petition by minors and their parents that argued the ban also infringes on parental rights protected under the due process clause.
From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2025
If in his judgment a law infringes on the fundamental rights, he must forbid its enforcement.
From The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Citizens by Max Farrand
United Therapeutics picked up a win in its patent lawsuit against rival Liquidia when a federal judge ruled that two of United Therapeutics’ claims were valid and infringed upon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
Taction, which makes headphones and gaming headsets, claimed in 2021 that these improvements infringed patents it was issued in 2020.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
Some felt it infringed on their sense of nostalgia.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
District Judge Aileen Cannon agreed, reiterating that “the allegedly infringed material — basic ideas, themes, metaphors, isolated words, and short phrases — is not protected expression and cannot be infringed.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Lawrence was predictably incensed by the implication that his patent claims might have infringed Caltech’s claim to primacy.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
The new lawsuit increases the number of copyrighted recordings Sony is accusing Udio of infringing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Charles Rivkin, the chairman and chief executive of the Motion Picture Association, called on ByteDance to "immediately cease its infringing activity," accusing it of disregarding copyright law that protects creators and underpins millions of jobs.
From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026
Disney will engage with other AI platforms to find ways to responsibly use the technology without infringing on intellectual property rights, a spokesperson said.
From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026
MPA’s CEO, Charles Rivkin, wrote in a statement that the company “should immediately cease its infringing activity.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 13, 2026
I relied on Wolfie to procure reading material for me and I fear that I took over his life, infringing on both his work and pleasure.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
