tres·pass
ˈtre-ˌspas 
also
-spəs
trespassed; trespassing; trespasses
1
: to commit a trespass
especially
: to enter unlawfully upon the land of another
: violate
trespass the bounds of good taste
trespasser
noun
1
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
2
a
: a violation of moral or social ethics : transgression
especially
: sin
b
: an unwarranted infringement
Synonyms
Examples of trespass in a Sentence
Verb
He told me I was trespassing.
The sign said “No Trespassing.”
Noun
He was arrested for trespass.
forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us
Recent Examples on the Web
Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2024
People threw at least three green flares onto the field, stopping play, and a pair of fans trespassed the diamond in the ninth inning before security guards tackled them.
—Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 26 Sep. 2024
Jennifer Edwards Baker, The Enquirer, 18 Oct. 2024
Suspect Joanna Kelly Lee was charged with burglary and criminal trespass, according to the Madison Police Department.
—Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for trespass 
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Verb
On their way to check out their family property, a group of teenagers trespassed on the land of a nearby house, home of the monstrous, chainsaw-wielding Leatherface.
—Richard Newby, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Oct. 2024
People threw at least three green flares onto the field, stopping play, and a pair of fans trespassed the diamond in the ninth inning before security guards tackled them.
—Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 26 Sep. 2024
Noun
The driver was cited with criminal trespass and some traffic offenses and released, Lt. Zacharias said, estimating the student’s age to be 18-20.
—Jennifer Edwards Baker, The Enquirer, 18 Oct. 2024
Suspect Joanna Kelly Lee was charged with burglary and criminal trespass, according to the Madison Police Department.
—Andrea Margolis, Fox News, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for trespass
Articles Related to trespass
Dictionary Entries Near trespass
Cite this Entry
“Trespass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trespass. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
trespass
1 of 2 noun
tres·pass
ˈtres-pəs
-ˌpas
1
2
: an unlawful act committed on the person, property, or rights of another
especially
: unlawful entry on someone else's land
trespass
2 of 2 verb1
: err sense 1, sin
2
: to commit a trespass
especially
: to enter unlawfully upon the land of another
trespasser
noun
Legal Definition
trespass
1 of 2 noun
tres·pass
ˈtres-pəs, -ˌpas
: wrongful conduct causing harm to another: as
a
: a willful act or active negligence as distinguished from a mere omission of a duty that causes an injury to or invasion of the person, rights, or especially property of another
also
: the common-law form of action for redress of injuries directly caused by such a wrongful act compare trespass on the case in this entry
b
: trespass quare clausum fregit in this entry
—
computer trespass
: the act of using or gaining access to a computer or computer network without authorization especially for the purpose of committing a crime or harming or removing programs, data, or hardware
—
continuing trespass
: a trespass that continues until the act (as of depriving another of his or her property without the intent to steal it) or instrumentality (as an object placed wrongfully on another's land) causing it is ended or removed
—
criminal trespass
: trespass to property that is forbidden by statute and punishable as a crime as distinguished from trespass that creates a cause of action for damages
—
trespass ab initio
: a trespass that arises upon a lawful act which because of subsequent unlawful or wrongful conduct is deemed under a legal fiction to have been trespassory from the beginning
—
trespass de bonis asportatis
\
-dē-ˈbō-nis-ˌas-pȯr-ˈtā-tis, -dā-ˈbō-nēs-ˌäs-pȯr-ˈtä-tēs
\
probably from Medieval Latin (trangressio) de bonis asportatis (trespass) concerning property carried off
: a common-law form of action to recover for trespass involving the carrying off of one's goods by another
—
trespass on the case
: a common-law form of action to recover for another's wrongful act that indirectly causes one's injury
called also action on the case, case
—
trespass quare clausum fregit
\
-ˈkwer-ē-ˈklȯ-zəm-ˈfrē-jət, -ˈkwä-rā-ˈklau̇-su̇m-ˈfrā-gēt
\
probably from Medieval Latin (transgressio) quare clausum fregit (trespass) whereby he or she broke into a close (tenement protected by law of trespass)
: a trespass that involves wrongful and tortious entry on another's real property
—
trespass to try title
: an action brought as a means of obtaining redress for a trespass to real property and determining the title to the property
—
trespass vi et armis
\
-ˈvī-ˌet-ˈär-mis, -ˈvē-, -ˌmēs
\
Latin vi et armis with force and arms
: a trespass involving intentional infliction of injury on a person
trespass
2 of 2 intransitive verb
: to commit a trespass
especially
: to enter wrongfully or without proper authority or consent upon the real property of another
: to commit a trespass against
Etymology
Noun
Anglo-French trespas violation of the law, actionable wrong, from Old French, crossing, passage, from trespasser to go across, from tres across + passer to pass
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