FromMiddle Englishtransgressen, fromOld Frenchtransgresser andLatintransgressus, past participle oftransgredior.
transgress (third-person singular simple presenttransgresses,present participletransgressing,simple past and past participletransgressed)
- (transitive) Toexceed oroverstep somelimit orboundary.
2006, Matt Wray,Not Quite White, page17:They sometimestransgressed colonial boundaries, forming border communities with Native Americans and escaped black slaves.
- (transitive) To act inviolation of somelaw.
1667,John Milton, “Book III”, inParadise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […];[a]nd by Robert Boulter […];[a]nd Matthias Walker, […],→OCLC; republished asParadise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […],1873,→OCLC:For man will hearken to his glozing lies,
And easilytransgress the sole command.
2024, David Golinkin, “Is Mixed Dancing Really Forbidden At Weddings?”, inResponsa in a Moment, volume 4, page240:There were some young men whotransgressed theḥerem and danced with foreign women [i.e. non-relatives] and forbidden women.
- (intransitive, construed withagainst) Tocommit anoffense; tosin.
c.1608–1611,Francis Beaumont,John Fletcher, “The Maid’s Tragedy”, inComedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and forHumphrey Moseley […], published1679,→OCLC,(please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):Why give you peace to this untemperate beast
That hath so longtransgressed you?
- (intransitive, of the sea) Tospread overland along ashoreline; toinundate.
to exceed or overstep some limit or boundary
to act in violation of some law
to commit an offense, to sin
