- breach
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—breacher, n./breech/, n.1. the act or a result of breaking; break or rupture.2. an infraction or violation, as of a law, trust, faith, or promise.3. a gap made in a wall, fortification, line of soldiers, etc.; rift; fissure.4. a severance of friendly relations.5. the leap of a whale above the surface of the water.6. Archaic. the breaking of waves; the dashing of surf.7. Obs. wound1.v.t.8. to make a breach or opening in.9. to break or act contrary to (a law, promise, etc.).v.i.10. (of a whale) to leap partly or completely out of the water, head first, and land on the back or belly with a resounding splash.[bef. 1000; ME breche, OE braec breaking; see BREAK]Syn. 1. fracture. 2. BREACH, INFRACTION, VIOLATION, TRANSGRESSION all denote in some way the breaking of a rule or law or the upsetting of a normal and desired state. BREACH is used infrequently in reference to laws or rules, more often in connection with desirable conditions or states of affairs: a breach of the peace, of good manners, of courtesy. INFRACTION most often refers to clearly formulated rules or laws: an infraction of the criminal code, of university regulations, of a labor contract.VIOLATION, a stronger term than either of the preceding two, often suggests intentional, even forceful or aggressive, refusal to obey the law or to respect the rights of others: repeated violations of parking regulations; a human rights violation. TRANSGRESSION, with its root sense of "a stepping across (of a boundary of some sort)," applies to any behavior that exceeds the limits imposed by a law, especially a moral law, a commandment, or an order; it often implies sinful behavior: a serious transgression of social customs, of God's commandments. 3. crack, rent, opening. 4. alienation, split, rift, schism, separation; dissension.
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Universalium. 2010.
