Adjacent Words

Transgress definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

TRANSGRESS', v.t. [L. transgressus, transgredior; trans and gradior, to pass.]
1. To pass over or beyond any limit; to surpass.
2. In a moral sense, to overpass any rule prescribed as the limit of duty; to break or violate a law, civil or moral. To transgress a divine law, is sin. Legislators should not transgress laws of their own making.
TRANSGRESS', v.i. To offend by violating a law; to sin.
Chron 2.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises; "offend all laws of humanity"; "violate the basic laws or human civilization"; "break a law"; "break a promise" [syn: transgress, offend, infract, violate, go against, breach, break] [ant: keep, observe]
2: spread over land, especially along a subsiding shoreline; "The sea transgresses along the West coast of the island"
3: commit a sin; violate a law of God or a moral law [syn: sin, transgress, trespass]
4: pass beyond (limits or boundaries) [syn: transgress, trespass, overstep]

Merriam Webster's

verb Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French transgresser, from Latin transgressus, past participle of transgredi to step beyond or across, from trans- + gradi to step — more at grade Date: 15th century intransitive verb 1. to violate a command or law ; sin 2. to go beyond a boundary or limit transitive verb 1. to go beyond limits set or prescribed by ; violate <transgress divine law> 2. to pass beyond or go over (a limit or boundary) • transgressive adjective • transgressor noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. (also absol.) 1 go beyond the bounds or limits set by (a commandment, law, etc.); violate; infringe. 2 Geol. (of the sea) to spread over (the land). Derivatives: transgression n. transgressive adj. transgressor n. Etymology: F transgresser or L transgredi transgress- (as TRANS-, gradi go)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Transgress Trans*gress", v. i. To offend against the law; to sin. Who transgressed in the thing accursed. --I Chron. ii. 7.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Transgress Trans*gress", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Transgressed; p. pr. & vb. n. Transgressing.] [Cf. F. transgresser. See Transgression.] 1. To pass over or beyond; to surpass. [R.] Surpassing common faith, transgressing nature's law. --Dryden. 2. Hence, to overpass, as any prescribed as the ?imit of duty; to break or violate, as a law, civil or moral. For man will hearken to his glozing lies, And easily transgress the sole command. --Milton. 3. To offend against; to vex. [Obs.] Why give you peace to this imperate beast That hath so long transgressed you ? --Beau. & Fl.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(transgresses, transgressing, transgressed) If someone transgresses, they break a moral law or a rule of behaviour. If a politician transgresses, that is not the fault of the media. ...a monk who had transgressed against the law of celibacy... It seemed to me that he had transgressed the boundaries of good taste. VERB: V, V against n, V n • transgression (transgressions) Tales of the candidate's alleged past transgressions have begun springing up. N-VAR

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Exceed, transcend, pass, overstep, overpass, go beyond, pass over. 2. Disobey, infringe, break, contravene, set at naught, violate. II. v. n. Err, sin, offend, do amiss.

Moby Thesaurus

advance upon, breach, breach the law, break, break bounds, break the law, care naught for, circumvent the law, commit a crime, commit sin, contravene, defy, disobey, disobey the law, disregard, disregard the law, do amiss, do violence to, do wrong, encroach, err, exceed, fall from grace, flout, go astray, go beyond, go counter to, go too far, go wrong, ignore, infract, infringe, intrude, invade, irrupt, know no bounds, lapse, make an inroad, misbehave, not conform, not heed, not keep, not listen, not mind, not observe, offend, overstep, overstep the bounds, refuse to cooperate, scoff at, set at defiance, set at naught, set naught by, sin, trample on, trample underfoot, trample upon, trespass, usurp, violate, violate the law