transgress
verb /trænzˈɡres/
/trænzˈɡres/
[transitive, intransitive] (formal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they transgress | /trænzˈɡres/ /trænzˈɡres/ |
| he / she / it transgresses | /trænzˈɡresɪz/ /trænzˈɡresɪz/ |
| past simple transgressed | /trænzˈɡrest/ /trænzˈɡrest/ |
| past participle transgressed | /trænzˈɡrest/ /trænzˈɡrest/ |
| -ing form transgressing | /trænzˈɡresɪŋ/ /trænzˈɡresɪŋ/ |
- to go beyond the limit of what is morally or legally acceptable
- transgress something They had transgressed the bounds of decency.
- transgress (against somebody/something) to transgress against God/your neighbour/natural law
- We will punish any who transgress.
Word Originlate 15th cent. (earlier (late Middle English) as transgression): from Old French transgresser or Latin transgress- ‘stepped across’, from the verb transgredi, from trans- ‘across’ + gradi ‘go’.