infringe
UK: /ɪnˈfrɪndʒ/ | US: /ɪnˈfrɪndʒ/
vt. to violate or break (a law, rule, or agreement)
vt. to encroach upon (someone's rights or property)
vi. to commit an infringement (often followed by "on" or "upon")
infringe = in<into, against> + fringe<break, border>
- in: A Latin prefix meaning "into" or "against," often indicating negation or opposition.
- fringe: Derived from Latin frangere (to break), which evolved into Old French frenge (border, edge). The modern sense retains the idea of crossing a boundary or breaking a limit.
Etymology Origin:
The word "infringe" originates from Latin infringere, combining in- (against) and frangere (to break). It entered English via Old French enfrendre, initially meaning "to break" or "violate." Over time, it specialized in legal and moral contexts, emphasizing the act of overstepping boundaries—whether laws, rights, or physical limits. The logic mirrors physical breaking (frangere) extended metaphorically to abstract violations.
The new policy may infringe on citizens' privacy rights.
Copying patented designs could infringe intellectual property laws.
The construction project infringed into protected wetlands.
He was fined for infringing the terms of his contract.
Protesters argued the law infringed upon free speech.