transgress

verb

trans·​gress tran(t)s-ˈgres 

tranz-

transgressed; transgressing; transgresses

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)

transgressive

tran(t)s-ˈgre-siv 

tranz-

adjective

transgressor

tran(t)s-ˈgre-sər 

tranz-

noun

Synonyms

• err
• fall
• offend
• sin
• stray
• trespass
• wander

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

The holiday is a celebration of subtle LGBTQ+ drama, pleasure and the past transgressed by costumes painstakingly crafted by their creators. —Lydia Patrick, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024

Both pay a price for transgressing the boundaries of what’s deemed acceptable for young white women negotiating the new freedoms of mobility and modernity. —Elizabeth Friend, Longreads, 29 Oct. 2024

Moreover, there was the nagging question of whether the tournament would transgress the NCAA’s increasingly fuzzy, but still formal, prohibition against paying athletes to play. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 Sep. 2024

Antidemocratic rhetoric transgresses long-standing norms both of political tolerance and of constitutional limits on power. —Christopher Miller, The Conversation, 8 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French transgresser, from Latin transgressus, past participle of transgredi to step beyond or across, from trans- + gradi to step — more at grade entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Kids Definition

transgress

verb

trans·​gress tran(t)s-ˈgres 

tranz-

1

: to go beyond limits set by : violate

transgress divine law

2

: to pass beyond or go over a limit or boundary

3

: to violate a command or law

transgressive

-ˈgres-iv 

adjective

transgressor

-ˈgres-ər 

noun

Etymology

from early French transgresser "to transgress," from Latin transgressus, past participle of transgredi "to step across or beyond," from trans- "across, beyond" and gradi "to step"

Legal Definition

transgress

transitive verb

trans·​gress tranz-ˈgres, trans- 

1

: to go beyond limits set or prescribed by : violate

2

: to pass beyond or go over (a limit or boundary)

intransitive verb

1

: to violate a law

2

: to go beyond a boundary or limit