How does the verb infringe differ from other similar words?
Some common synonyms of infringe are encroach, invade, and trespass. While all these words mean "to make inroads upon the property, territory, or rights of another," infringe implies an encroachment clearly violating a right or prerogative.
infringing a copyright
When is it sensible to use encroach instead of infringe?
In some situations, the words encroach and infringe are roughly equivalent. However, encroach suggests gradual or stealthy entrance upon another's territory or usurpation of another's rights or possessions.
the encroaching settlers displacing the native peoples
When can invade be used instead of infringe?
While in some cases nearly identical to infringe, invade implies a hostile and injurious entry into the territory or sphere of another.
accused of invading their privacy
When might trespass be a better fit than infringe?
The synonyms trespass and infringe are sometimes interchangeable, but trespass implies an unwarranted or unlawful intrusion.
hunters trespassing on farmland
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of infringeHowever, lawyers for TikTok and creators who use the app argued before the Supreme Court that banning the platform would infringe on the First Amendment.—Jeremy Engle, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025 The law, which received overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress last year and was signed into effect by President Joe Biden, does not infringe upon the First Amendment rights of TikTok users, according to the court’s opinion.—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 17 Jan. 2025 In 2020, the court said that the free speech rights of conversion therapists were being infringed upon by a ban, enjoining bans on conversion therapy in three states—Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.—Solcyré Burga, Time, 26 Mar. 2025 Of note: Your Content must not be false, defamatory, misleading or hateful, or infringe any copyright or any other third-party rights or otherwise be unlawful.—New York Times, 25 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for infringe
In a series of lawsuits following the order, plaintiffs, including 22 Democratic state attorneys general and immigrant rights advocates, argued that Trump's order violates a right protected by the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment: anyone born in the United States is a citizen.
—
Terry Moseley,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
In legal terms, the lawsuits are saying oil and gas companies violated consumer-protection laws and committed common-law civil violations such as negligence.
Memories, both fresh and long-held, impinge on the present of our main characters.
—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
6 Apr. 2025
While a typical Mythic Quest arc might see an employee’s workday derailed by their personal issues, this choice subtly reframes the dynamic so the job becomes the thing impinging on the parts of Phil’s life that actually matter most to him.
Roses, Real Madrid, crowns: What to know about tattoos used to deport Venezuelan migrants
The ACLU sued to block the deportations, arguing that Trump's order exceeded his powers because the Alien Enemies Act authorizes removals only when war has been declared or the United States has been invaded.
—
Luc Cohen and Ted Hesson,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
And invading the Crusaders home turf Tuesday afternoon was Christian, ranked No. 1 in the section.
—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Apr. 2025
Just such a breakdown had occurred in Vietnam and Burma in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when colonial authorities began to intrude into peasant life, privatizing village lands, forests, and fisheries and introducing a multitude of punishing taxes.
—
Nikil Saval,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2025
The first hit is free, as per usual, and after the honeymoon period, ads will intrude into the Friends tab too.
With a Labour government entrenched until at least 2029, that’s unlikely to happen anytime, but the big brands are also big planners, and always thinking about the success of the next generation.
—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2025
By now, the idea is firmly entrenched: pockets are a given for men’s clothing, but expendable for women’s.
Share