transgression

noun

trans·​gres·​sion tran(t)s-ˈgre-shən 

tranz-

: an act, process, or instance of transgressing: such as

a

: infringement or violation of a law, command, or duty

b

: the spread of the sea over land areas and the consequent unconformable deposit of sediments on older rocks

Synonyms

• breach
• crime
• debt
• error
• lawbreaking
• malefaction
• misdeed
• misdoing
• offense
• offence
• sin
• trespass
• violation
• wrongdoing

Examples of transgression in a Sentence

acts that are transgressions against the laws of civilized societies everywhere

a dying woman asking for divine forgiveness for a lifetime of transgressions

Recent Examples on the Web

The investigation suggested that Cunningham was involved in the creation of a flyer, which circulated at the May school-committee hearing, accusing ARMS teachers of witchery and other transgressions. —Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 3 Apr. 2024

So, why not throw a party, a manic, crazy, dreamlike flight from reality into the pleasures of the body, transgression and forgetting? —Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 25 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

transgression

noun

trans·​gres·​sion tran(t)s-ˈgresh-ən 

tranz-

: an act, process, or example of transgressing