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Webster 1913 Edition

Infringe

In-fringe′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Infringed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Infringing
.]
[L.
infringere
; pref.
in-
in +
frangere
to break. See
Fraction
, and cf.
Infract
.]
1.
To break; to violate; to transgress; to neglect to fulfill or obey;
as, to
infringe
a law, right, or contract
.
If the first that did the edict
infringe
,
Had answered for his deed.
Shakespeare
The peace . . . was
infringed
by Appius Claudius.
Golding.
2.
To hinder; to destroy;
as, to
infringe
efficacy; to
infringe
delight or power.
[Obs.]
Hooker.

In-fringe′

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To break, violate, or transgress some contract, rule, or law; to injure; to offend.
2.
To encroach; to trespass; – followed by on or upon;
as, to
infringe
upon the rights of another
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Infringe

INFRINGE

,
Verb.
T.
infrinj'. [L. infringo; in and frango,to break. See Break.]
1.
To break, as contracts; to violate, either positively by contravention, or negatively by non-fulfillment or neglect of performance. A prince or a private person infringes an agreement or covenant by neglecting to perform its conditions, as well as by doing what is stipulated not to be done.
2.
To break; to violate; to transgress; to neglect to fulfill or obey; as, to infringe a law.
3.
To destroy or hinder; as, to infringe efficacy. [Little used.]

Definition 2024

infringe

infringe

English

Alternative forms

Verb

infringe ‎(third-person singular simple present infringes, present participle infringing, simple past and past participle infringed)

  1. (transitive) Break or violate a treaty, a law, a right etc.
    • 2013 June 8, “Obama goes troll-hunting”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 55:
      According to this saga of intellectual-property misanthropy, these creatures [patent trolls] roam the business world, buying up patents and then using them to demand extravagant payouts from companies they accuse of infringing them. Often, their victims pay up rather than face the costs of a legal battle.
  2. (intransitive) Break in or encroach on something.

Synonyms

(Break or violate a treaty, a law): transgress

Translations

Derived terms

Related terms

Anagrams

Latin

Verb

infringe

  1. second-person singular present active imperative of infringō

Portuguese

Verb

infringe

  1. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present indicative of infringir
  2. second-person singular (tu, sometimes used with você) affirmative imperative of infringir

Spanish

Verb

infringe

  1. Formal second-person singular (usted) present indicative form of infringir.
  2. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present indicative form of infringir.
  3. Informal second-person singular (tú) affirmative imperative form of infringir.

Etymology

From Latin infringere ‎(“to break off, break, bruise, weaken, destroy”), from in ‎(“in”) + frangere ‎(“to break”).

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