infringe

• POS: Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: in=fringe

CIDE DICTIONARY

infringe, v. t. [L. infringere; pref. in- in + frangere to break. See Fraction, and cf. Infract .].

•  To break; to violate; to transgress; to neglect to fulfill or obey; as, to infringe a law, right, or contract.  [1913 Webster]

  "If the first that did the edict infringe,
  Had answered for his deed."  [1913 Webster]

  "The peace . . . was infringed by Appius Claudius."  [1913 Webster]
•  To hinder; to destroy; as, to infringe efficacy; to infringe delight or power.  Hooker.  [1913 Webster]

infringe, v. i. 

•  To break, violate, or transgress some contract, rule, or law; to injure; to offend.  [1913 Webster]
•  To encroach; to trespass; -- followed by on or upon; as, to infringe upon the rights of another.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

infringe, v.
1 tr. a act contrary to; violate (a law, an oath, etc.). b act in defiance of (another's rights etc.).
2 intr. (usu. foll. by on, upon) encroach; trespass.

Derivative

infringement n. infringer n.

Etymology

L infringere infract- (as IN-(2), frangere break)

THESAURUS

infringe

adopt, advance upon, appropriate, arrogate, assume, barge in, breach, breach the law, break, break bounds, break in, break in upon, break the law, burst in, butt in, charge in, circumvent the law, come between, commit a crime, contravene, copy, crash, crash in, crash the gates, creep in, crowd in, cut in, defy, derive from, disobey, disobey the law, disregard the law, do violence to, edge in, elbow in, encroach, entrench, flout, foist in, go too far, horn in, imitate, impinge, impose, impose on, impose upon, infiltrate, infract, insinuate, interfere, interlope, interpose, intervene, intrude, invade, irrupt, know no bounds, make an inroad, make use of, mock, obtrude, offend, overstep, overstep the bounds, pirate, plagiarize, play God, press in, presume, pretend to, push in, put on, put upon, rush in, seize, set at defiance, set at naught, set naught by, simulate, slink in, slip in, smash in, sneak in, squeeze in, steal, steal in, storm in, take, take on, take over, throng in, thrust in, trample on, trample underfoot, trample upon, transgress, trench, trespass, usurp, violate, violate the law, work in, worm in

ROGET THESAURUS

infringe

Disobedience

VB disobey, violate, infringe, shirk, set at defiance, set authority at naught, run riot, fly in the face of, take the law into one's own hands, kick over the traces, turn restive, run restive, champ the bit, strike, rise, rise in arms, secede, mutiny, rebel.

Nonobservance

VB fail, neglect, omit, elude, evade, give the go-by to, set aside, ignore, shut one's eyes to, close one's eyes to, infringe, transgress, violate, pirate, break, trample under foot, do violence to, drive a coach and six through, discard, protest, repudiate, fling to the winds, set at naught, nullify, declare null and void, cancel, retract, go back from, be off, forfeit, go from one's word, palter, stretch a point, strain a point.

Undueness

VB be undue, not be due, infringe, encroach, trench on, exact, arrogate, arrogate to oneself, give an inch and take an ell, stretch a point, strain a point, usurp, violate, do violence to, disfranchise, disentitle, disqualify, invalidate, relax, misbehave, misbecome.

Dereliction of Duty

VB violate, break, break through, infringe, set aside, set at naught, encroach upon, trench upon, trample on, trample under foot, slight, neglect, evade, renounce, forswear, repudiate, wash one's hands of, escape, transgress, fail, call to account.

Transcursion

VB transgress, surpass, pass, go beyond, go by, show in front, come to the front, shoot ahead of, steal a march upon, steal a gain upon, overstep, overpass, overreach, overgo, override, overleap, overjump, overskip, overlap, overshoot the mark, outstrip, outleap, outjump, outgo, outstep, outrun, outride, outrival, outdo, beat, beat hollow, distance, leave in the lurch, leave in the rear, throw into the shade, exceed, transcend, surmount, soar, encroach, trespass, infringe, trench upon, entrench on, intrench on, strain, stretch a point, strain a point, cross the Rubicon.