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in·fringe

(ĭn-frĭnj)

v. in·fringed, in·fring·ing, in·fring·es

v.tr.

1. To transgress or exceed the limits of; violate: infringe a contract; infringe a patent.

2. Obsolete To defeat; invalidate.

v.intr.

To encroach on someone or something; engage in trespassing: an increased workload that infringed on his personal life.

[Latin īnfringere, to destroy : in-, intensive pref.; see IN-² + frangere, to break; see bhreg- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

in·fringer n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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