to transgress
- verb
- /trænˈɡrɛs/
- You have sinned in the past, transgressed against the holy commandments, but you shall find forgiveness here, and be cleansed.
- transgressing boundaries
- transgress social norms
- transgress the law
The reason it's wrong is because it transgresses a divine command.
- The reason it's wrong is because it transgresses a divine command.
- In doing so, are we permitted to transgress the rights of others?
- I was born to people who transgressed law by daring to marry.
- When we transgress, social norms help keep us in line.
- Is that who you alleged had transgressed against you?
- How long are you going to wait to not transgress against distinctions set up by reason?
- By rage, he means the anger that arises when our boundaries are being transgressed.
- He kind of knew where that line was and how much he could push without transgressing it.
- Boundaries are transgressed when it is working class covering.
- That puts everything else into context that preserves while at the same time transgressing the ethical.
- All borders have been completely crossed, transgressed.
- And when somebody transgresses, you, you know, crosses that boundary of what is OK.
- So it's possible that, you know, they feel like they should punish women because these women are transgressing.
Examples
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Teachers also feel betrayed when a colleague transgresses moral and professional boundaries.
Academic text (1991) -
In doing so, are we permitted to transgress the rights of others?
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ah, sometimes, you know, you have to transgress a little bit to help the greater good.
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How far is one willing to transgress one identity in order to keep step with the other?
Academic text (1999) -
A message to all who would dare transgress the laws of this land.
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When we transgress, social norms help keep us in line.
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You have transgressed this law.
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The reason it's wrong is because it transgresses a divine command.
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You don't have the the right to transgress our norms.
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The company was fined heavily for attempting to transgress environmental regulations.
Synonyms
Break a law, rule, agreement, or promise
To act against a rule, law, or popular opinion
Say or do something that is not acceptable and may hurt people
Act in a way that goes too far and is not right
To go beyond a limit or rule without permission
Break a rule or law and go against someone's rights
Break a law, rule, contract or promise
To break a rule, agreement, or promise
To do something that breaks a religious or moral rule
To go beyond what you are allowed to do
To go beyond a limit or rule
Go beyond what people consider acceptable
To behave in a way people think is not acceptable
To break a law, rule, or agreement
To go past a limit people set and cause serious problems
To break a law, rule, contract, or promise
Antonyms
How Serious
Surface Forms
Morphology
transgress = trans + gress
Built from the prefix 'trans-' (across/beyond) + the combining form 'gress' (go/step); because 'gress' is not a standalone English word, the composition is only partially obvious to typical learners despite the logical sense 'step beyond/violate'.
Etymology
The word transgress comes from the Latin parts trans- 'across' and gress 'step', the same root you see in progress and graduate. So to transgress is to 'step across' a limit, which is why it means to go beyond what is allowed or to break a rule.