Meaning & use

breach

noun·Academic

A violation of a law, agreement, or standard of behavior, or a gap made in a barrier.

See it in a sentence

The company faced a lawsuit for its breach of contract with a major supplier.

Investigators discovered a serious security breach in the bank's computer system.

A note on using this word

Breach commonly pairs with 'of,' as in 'breach of contract' or 'breach of trust,' emphasizing a broken agreement or rule.

Words with a similar meaning

violationinfraction

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Another way to use it

2. verb

To break through or violate a barrier, rule, or agreement.

Hackers breached the company's database and stole customer information.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “breach”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.