breach
(brēch)
[Middle English breche, from Old English brēc.]
noun
- An opening, a tear, or a rupture.
- A gap or rift, especially in or as if in a solid structure such as a dike or fortification.
- A violation or infraction, as of a law, a legal obligation, or a promise.
- A breaking up or disruption of friendly relations; an estrangement.
- A leap of a whale from the water.
- The breaking of waves or surf.
verb: breached, breach·ing, breach·es.
transitive verb
- To make a hole or gap in; break through.
- To break or violate (an agreement, for example).
intransitive verb
- To leap from the water: waiting for the whale to breach.
synonyms:
breach, infraction, violation, transgression, trespass, infringement These nouns denote an act or instance of breaking a law or regulation or failing to fulfill a duty, obligation, or promise. Breach and infraction are the least specific: Revealing the secret would be a breach of trust. Infractions of the rules will not be tolerated. A violation is committed willfully and with complete lack of regard for legal, moral, or ethical considerations: In violation of her contract, she failed to appear. Transgression most often applies to divine or moral law: “The children shall not be punished for the father's transgression” (Daniel Defoe) Trespass implies willful intrusion on another's rights, possessions, or person: “In the limited and confined sense signifies no more than an entry on another man's ground without a lawful authority” (William Blackstone) Infringement is most frequently used to denote encroachment on another's rights: “Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom” (William Pitt the Younger)
