breach
n. countablen. a failure to follow a rule, law, or promise. It can also mean a hole or opening in a wall or a protective system.
n. an act of breaking or failing to observe a law, agreement, or code of conduct; alternatively, a physical gap or break in a barrier. Often used in legal or technical contexts to describe a violation of duty or security.
The company faced a serious data breach last month.
The lawyer argued that the sudden change in contract terms was a clear breach of their original agreement.
While the physical breach in the sea wall was repaired quickly, the legal breach of safety protocols led to a lengthy investigation by the maritime authority.
From Middle English breche, from Old English bryċe (“fracture, breach”) and brǣċ (“breach, breaking, destruction”), from Proto-West Germanic bruki, from Proto-Germanic brukiz (“breach, fissure”) and *brēkō (“breaking”).
Often used in the fixed phrase 'in breach of' followed by a noun representing the rule or contract.