infringement

/ɪnˈfrɪndʒmənt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈfrɪndʒmənt/ (ame, ipa) · /in-ˈfrinj-mənt/ (ame, mw)

infringement — noun

  • infringementsingular
  • infringementsplural

1. a situation in which someone does something that a law, rule, or formal agreemen

1.名詞C1
釋義

a situation in which someone does something that a law, rule, or formal agreement does not permit

例句

The company was fined for copyright infringement after using images without permission.

collocation: copyright infringement / patent infringement / trademark infringement

Any infringement of the school's dress code will lead to a warning from the principal.

infringement + of + rule / code / regulation

同義詞
  • violation

    Broader and more common; covers everything from traffic laws to human rights

  • breach

    Strongly implies a broken agreement or relationship of trust, e.g. breach of contract

  • contravention

    More formal; typically appears in official legal documents and statutes

文法句型

infringement + of + noun phrase (the thing broken)

adjective + infringement

用法筆記

Most common in legal contexts involving intellectual property (copyright, patent, trademark). As an uncountable noun it refers to the general concept; as a countable noun it refers to a specific instance.

常見錯誤

❌The company was accused of infringement the contract.
✅The company was accused of infringement of the contract.
💡Infringement is a noun and requires of before the thing that has been broken.
❌He committed an infringement to the safety rules.
✅He committed an infringement of the safety rules.
💡Use of, not to, after infringement.

2. an act of reducing or interfering with a person's or group's legal rights, freed

2.名詞C1
釋義

an act of reducing or interfering with a person's or group's legal rights, freedoms, or privileges

例句

Many citizens view the new surveillance law as a serious infringement of their privacy.

infringement + of + right / privacy / freedom

The judge ruled that the ban was an infringement on the right to peaceful protest.

infringement + on + right to [activity]

同義詞
  • encroachment

    Suggests gradual or subtle intrusion into someone's rights or territory

  • trespass

    Stronger, implying an unlawful intrusion; also used for physical property

  • intrusion

    Focuses on the unwanted entering of a private space or situation

反義詞
  • protection

    The safeguarding of rights, the opposite of limiting or interfering with them

  • respect

    Showing proper regard for someone's rights, rather than limiting them

文法句型

infringement + of/on + noun phrase (the right or freedom)

(an) infringement + on/upon + right

用法筆記

Frequently appears in discussions about privacy, civil liberties, and the limits of government authority. When followed by on (rather than of), the focus is slightly more on the act of encroachment than on the right itself.

常見錯誤

❌The new rule is an infringement to our freedom.
✅The new rule is an infringement of our freedom.
💡Use of or on, never to.
❌This law infringes the rights of citizens' (when you mean infringement as a noun).
✅This law is an infringement of the rights of citizens.
💡As a noun, infringement needs a determiner and a preposition.