transgress

verb

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trans·gress | \ tran(t)s-ˈgres

, tranz- \

transgressed; transgressing; transgresses

Definition of transgress

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)

Other Words from transgress Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About transgress

Other Words from transgress

transgressive \ tran(t)s-ˈgre-siv

, tranz- \ adjective

transgressor \ tran(t)s-ˈgre-sər

, tranz- \ noun

Examples of transgress in a Sentence

He who transgresses must seek forgiveness. There are legal consequences for companies that transgress the rules.

Recent Examples on the Web Bad teachers are rarely held accountable, but the public school bureaucracy seems to be less tolerant of teachers who transgress against the Democratic-union establishment. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, 14 Oct. 2021 Revision can be retrospectively kind to artists, especially to those who transgress the societal mores of their day. — Dodie Kazanjian, Vogue, 24 Aug. 2021 Politics, for example, cannot shed light on why employees are willing to transgress and endanger their job security yet may fail to go to the polls and vote. — Caterina Bulgarella, Forbes, 24 June 2021 Nonetheless, to act violently on the basis of such fictions – and to transgress against the humanity of others for nothing at all – is perhaps the most nihilistic act of them all. — Ani Kokobobo, The Conversation, 13 Jan. 2021 Through it all, Chicagoans went to the movies, usually to escape the realities of the day, sometimes to transgress a little or to see what everybody was talking about. — Michael Phillips, chicagotribune.com, 31 Dec. 2020 At times, the legislative or executive branches may transgress the boundaries the people established in the Constitution. — Brian Hagedorn, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 15 Oct. 2020 When my children transgressed in some minor way, Disney employees very gently corrected them. — Oliver Staley, Quartz, 5 Mar. 2020 Rael, an architect, explores the area near the border fence outside El Paso with an eye tuned to reimagining the space around him and plotting ways to transgress it. — Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 12 Nov. 2019 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'transgress.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.