infringement

noun

in·​fringe·​ment in-ˈfrinj-mənt 

1

: the act of infringing : violation

2

: an encroachment or trespass on a right or privilege

Synonyms of infringement

• violation

Examples of infringement in a Sentence

any government action limiting freedom of speech is an infringement of the U.S. Constitution

Recent Examples on the Web

But policing facial infringement is like playing whack-a-mole, Fan said. — Ling Wei, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

López’s attorney sent Rivas and her group a cease-and-desist letter last month, citing trademark infringement and deceptive and unfair trade practices, the letter shows. — Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2026

In my 17 seasons in the professional game, dealing with persistent infringement was never discussed at a training meeting, and no single method was promoted as best practice. — Graham Scott, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

The Seattle Times and Newsday are also suing OpenAI and Microsoft for infringement. — Tom Warren, The Verge, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for infringement

• impingement

Legal Definition

infringement

noun

in·​fringe·​ment

: the act or an instance of infringing

especially : the unauthorized use of copyrighted or patented material or of a trademark, trade name, or trade dress see also equivalent, fair use

Note: Infringement of a trademark, trade name, or trade dress involves use of one by the infringer that is the same as that of the owner or so similar that it is likely to deceive or to cause confusion or mistake on the part of the average purchaser. Infringement of a copyright involves the copying of a material and substantial portion of the protected work. If the alleged infringer denies copying, the copyright holder may be able to prove infringement with circumstantial evidence of the infringer's access to the protected work and of similarities between the two works.