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

Trademark infringement aside, the e-tailer has also been accused of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. —Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 2 Dec. 2025

Attorneys representing Swift and her co-defendants in a copyright infringement case said a court rule limits motions and accompanying memorandums to 20 pages, unless the court allows the motion to exceed the page limit. —Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025

In June 2024, Warner Music Group joined Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment in filing lawsuits against both Suno and its much smaller rival Udio, accusing the AI companies of mass copyright infringement. —Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 25 Nov. 2025

Warner Music Group has settled its infringement lawsuit against AI music generation platform Suno. —Thania Garcia, Variety, 25 Nov. 2025

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.