- trespass
-
I. noun
Etymology: Middle English trespas, from Anglo-French, passage, overstepping, misdeed, from trespasser
Date: 13th century
1.
a. a violation of moral or social ethics ; transgression; especially sin
b. an unwarranted infringement
2.
a. an unlawful act committed on the person, property, or rights of another; especially a wrongful entry on real property
b. the legal action for injuries resulting from trespass
II. verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French trespasser to overtake, exceed, wrong, from tres to a high degree (from Latin trans beyond) + passer to pass — more at through, pass
Date: 14th century
intransitive verb
1.
a. err, sin
b. to make an unwarranted or uninvited incursion
2. to commit a trespass; especially to enter unlawfully upon the land of another
transitive verb
violate <trespass the bounds of good taste> • trespasser noun Synonyms: trespass, encroach, infringe, invade mean to make inroads upon the property, territory, or rights of another. trespass implies an unwarranted or unlawful intrusion <hunters trespassing on farmland>. encroach suggests gradual or stealthy entrance upon another's territory or usurpation of another's rights or possessions <the encroaching settlers displacing the native peoples>. infringe implies an encroachment clearly violating a right or prerogative <infringing a copyright>. invade implies a hostile and injurious entry into the territory or sphere of another <accused of invading their privacy>.
New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.