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

• breach
• contravention
• infraction
• transgression
• trespass
• 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

In another camp are the New York Times and other newspapers, which have sued OpenAI as well as Microsoft, alleging the tech companies engaged in copyright infringement by using the publishers’ content to train their AI systems. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 22 Apr. 2025

Specific changes have been made to the Bahrain International Circuit for this year’s grand prix to help spot potential track-limits infringements, with a blue line at several turns adding visual aid to judge such circumstances. —Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025

Nielsen has had a history of suing competitive audience measurement companies over patent infringements. —Brad Adgate, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025

Risk related to government function includes corruption and instability, while risk related to social issues includes potential infringements on individual rights. —Zachary Russell, The Conversation, 8 Apr. 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.