transgress

1 of 2

verb

trans·​gress tran(t)s-ˈgres 

tranz-

transgressed; transgressing; transgresses

intransitive verb

1

: to violate a command or law : sin

2

: to go beyond a boundary or limit

transitive verb

1

: to go beyond limits set or prescribed by : violate

transgress divine law

2

: to pass beyond or go over (a limit or boundary)

transgressive

tran(t)s-ˈgre-siv 

tranz-

adjective

transgressor

tran(t)s-ˈgre-sər 

tranz-

noun

transgressor

2 of 2

noun

trans·​gres·​sor -esə(r) 

plural -s

: one that transgresses

especially : one who breaks a law or violates any known rule or principle of rectitude : sinner

the way of transgressors is hard

—Proverbs 13:15 (Authorized Version)

Synonyms of transgress

Verb

• trespass
• fall
• wander

Examples of transgress in a Sentence

Verb

He who transgresses must seek forgiveness.

There are legal consequences for companies that transgress the rules.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Marilyn Monroe was one of the most photographed women of her era, but Douglas Kirkland’s photojournalistic style captured the actress’s spontaneous side, transgressing the boundaries of celebrity photography. —Michael Soncin, Vanity Fair, 9 June 2026

The film transgresses time to show how greed, faith, desire and the hunger for meaning repeat themselves. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026

But the impulse behind the Hays Code aligns with a truism of nineteenth-century fiction that its successful writers well knew: that characters who transgress within the pages of a novel could not be allowed to prosper without punishment. —Radhika Jones, New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2026

Regardless of the international-law implications of this military action, the Trump administration’s description of what awaits Maduro and Flores has also transgressed basic principles of American domestic criminal law, as well as the underlying philosophical justification for punishment. —Paul Rosenzweig, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Middle French transgresser, from Latin transgressus, past participle of transgredi to step beyond or across, from trans- + gradi to step — more at grade entry 1

Noun

Middle English, from Late Latin, from Latin transgressus + -or

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for transgress

• abbess
• abscess
• access
• address
• assess
• caress
• confess
• depress
• digress
• distress
• egress
• excess

Kids Definition

transgress

verb

trans·​gress tran(t)s-ˈgres 

tranz-

1

: to go beyond limits set by : violate

transgress divine law

2

: to pass beyond or go over a limit or boundary

3

: to violate a command or law

transgressive

-ˈgres-iv 

adjective

transgressor

-ˈgres-ər 

noun

Etymology

Verb

from early French transgresser "to transgress," from Latin transgressus, past participle of transgredi "to step across or beyond," from trans- "across, beyond" and gradi "to step"

Legal Definition

transgress

transitive verb

trans·​gress tranz-ˈgres, trans- 

1

: to go beyond limits set or prescribed by : violate

2

: to pass beyond or go over (a limit or boundary)

intransitive verb

1

: to violate a law

2

: to go beyond a boundary or limit