English Reference

Word

infringing

Phoneticsin·fring·ing

US/ˌɪnˈfɹɪndʒɪŋ/

UK/ɪnfɹˈɪndʒɪŋ/

Definitions

01violating a law or right

C1 · Law

adj. breaking a rule, a law, or a legal right.

adj. acting in a way that violates a law, an agreement, or a person's established rights.

“The company was sued for selling products that were infringing on a rival's patent.”

“The court issued an injunction against the distributor, ruling that their marketing materials were infringing upon the plaintiff's established trademarks.”

Formal · Technical

Usage

Often followed by the preposition 'on' or 'upon' when used as a participle, though the adjective form describes the nature of the object itself.

Antonyms

02illegal copies

C1 · Law

adj. describes something, like a copy of a book or song, that was made without the owner's permission.

adj. referring to goods or content produced or distributed in violation of intellectual property laws.

“The website was shut down for hosting infringing content that belonged to movie studios.”

“Customs officials seized a large shipment of infringing goods, citing clear violations of international copyright agreements.”

Formal · Technical

Usage

Commonly used as an attributive adjective before nouns like 'content', 'goods', or 'products'.

Real-World Examples

“Last month, Farage accused the broadcaster of infringing his family's privacy by sending reporters to a house where his adult daughter was living.”
BBC News · 21 Aug 2026
“Weiquanwang, a human rights monitoring network, said Gao had been sentenced for “infringing the reputation and honour of heroes and martyrs”.”
The Guardian · 25 Aug 2026

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

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English Reference