infringe

infringe Definition

in·fringe (in frinj′)

transitive verb -·fringed′, -·fring′·ing

to break (a law or agreement); fail to observe the terms of; violate

Etymology: L infringere, to break off, break, impair, violate < in-, in + frangere, to break

infringe Related Forms

in·fringe′·ment noun

infringe Idioms

infringe on

or infringe upon

to break in on; encroach or trespass on to infringe upon their right to privacy

infringe Synonyms

transgress, violate, trespass, encroach; see meddle 1, transgress. See syn. study at trespass.

infringe Usage Examples

Object

copyright: The making of this copy will not infringe the copyright in the content.
patent: She also describes how a designer may take action should anyone infringe the patent.
prohibition: The Director General has today made a decision that the revised conditions do not infringe the Chapter I prohibition.
liberty: Coercive measures, which infringe civil liberties, are incompatible with maternity care.
right: The legal right infringed can be a private right or a public right ie the right to travel along a highway.
copy: The New Law explicitly prohibits the use of infringing copy of computer programs for business purposes.

Preposition: on

right: Moreover, how do you detect such abuse without infringing on the legal rights of an individual to personal privacy?
copyright: I will not suffer these interruptions while I'm infringing on copyright!
trademark: The name cannot infringe on a trademark or service mark.
liberty: If he assaults someone then he is overstepping his rights by infringing on the liberty of another.

Subject

person: Those rights are infringed by a person who does, or authorizes the doing, of any of those acts.

Modifying Another Word

unwarrantably: It therefore finds that the family's privacy was not unwarrantably infringed in the program as broadcast.
otherwise: A performer or someone acting on his or her behalf can however consent to any act that would otherwise infringe his or her rights.
potentially: Of course it is the local authority who will ultimately decide on planning permission for any structure that will potentially infringe the aerodrome airspace.
not: The Notebook Guardian does not infringe upon Kensington's patent.
seriously: Those who seriously infringed their Buddhist vows during the Cultural Revolution are not even allowed to stay ( p. 65 ).
directly: Perhaps one could boldly suggest that an SEP could not directly infringe a third party's trade mark.

Followed by an intransitive particle

Preposition: by

person: Those rights are infringed by a person who does, or authorizes the doing, of any of those acts.

Preposition: upon

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