Meaning & use
trespass
Last updated
Meanings
verbintransitivelegal
To go onto someone's land or into their building without being allowed.
Grammar: No object; usually followed by on or in: trespass on private property.
Patterns
- trespass on something
- trespass in something
Hikers were warned not to trespass on the farmer's fields.
The boys trespassed in the empty warehouse and were caught by the guard.
Signs on the fence say that anyone who trespasses will be prosecuted.
verbintransitiveformalfigurative
To take unfair advantage of someone's time, kindness or private affairs.
Grammar: Formal and followed by on: trespass on someone's generosity.
Patterns
- trespass on someone's time
- trespass upon someone's privacy
I hate to trespass on your time, but could I ask one more question?
The magazine trespassed on the family's privacy.
nouncountable or uncountablelegal
The act of entering someone's land or property without permission, or the legal wrong that this is.
Grammar: Often uncountable in law: guilty of trespass. Countable when meaning a single act.
Patterns
- a trespass on something
- guilty of trespass
He was fined for trespass after crossing the private estate.
The farmer reported three trespasses in a single month.
nouncountablearchaicreligion
A sin or moral wrong, in older religious language.
Grammar: Found mainly in prayers and old texts, usually in the plural.
Patterns
- forgive someone's trespasses
The prayer asks God to forgive our trespasses.
The old sermon spoke of the trespasses of the proud.
Word forms
| third person singular | trespasses |
|---|---|
| past tense | trespassed |
| past participle | trespassed |
| -ing form | trespassing |
| plural | trespasses |
Common combinations
- trespass on private property
- It is illegal to trespass on private property.
- caught trespassing
- The teenagers were caught trespassing on the railway line.
- no trespassing
- A sign reading no trespassing hung from the gate.
- trespass on someone's time
- I will not trespass on your time any longer.
- charged with trespass
- The protesters were charged with trespass.
Synonyms and how they differ
- intrude
- Intrude means to enter a place or situation where you are not welcome, and does not need the legal sense of trespass.
- encroach
- Encroach means to creep gradually onto land or rights, while trespass is usually one unlawful entry.
- infringe
- Infringe is used for breaking rules or rights, such as copyright, rather than physically entering land.
- invade
- Invade suggests a forceful entry, often by a group or army, and is stronger than trespass.
Word family
- trespasser noun
- a person who trespasses
- trespassing noun
- the act of entering property without permission
- trespassory adjective
- relating to trespass (legal, rare)
Commonly confused: trespass or transgress?
trespass vs transgress
To transgress means to break a rule or moral law, while to trespass is to enter a property without permission.
Practice
The sign warned hikers that anyone who ____ on the farm would be reported to the police.
Choose one answer.
Trespass on means to enter land without permission. Traverses means to cross, but it takes no preposition on and does not suggest breaking the law.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “trespass”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.