# trespass
## English
### Pronunciation

* (US) enPR: trĕs'pǎs, IPA: /ˈtɹɛspæs/, /ˈtɹæspæs/
* (UK) enPR: trĕs'pəs, IPA: /ˈtɹɛspəs/, /ˈtɹɛspɪs/
* Audio (Southern England):(file)
* Hyphenation: tres‧pass

### Etymology 1

Borrowed into Middle English trespas, from Old French trespas (“passage; offense against the law”), from trespasser.

#### Noun

trespass (countable and uncountable, plural trespasses)
* (law) An intentional interference with another's property or person.
** 2019 December 18, Andrew Roden, “New measurements reveal improvement in punctuality”, in Rail, page 24:External infrastructure issues such as severe weather and trespass caused 17.1% of [train] cancellations, [...].
** 2020 June 17, “Stop & Examine”, in Rail, page 71:Network Rail has produced a free downloadable comic highlighting the consequences of railway trespass. Between March 23 and April 26, there were 1,024 trespass incidents on the railway. [...] it is based on the company's award-winning safety film 18, which shows the dangers of trespass, especially around electrified lines.
* (archaic) sin
** 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 6:14–15:Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us

##### Derived terms

* anti-trespass, antitrespass
* cybertrespass
* light trespass
* trespass offering
* trespass on the case
* trespassory
* trespass to chattels

##### Related terms

* traipse

##### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Etymology 2

From Middle English trespassen, borrowed from Old French trespasser (“to go across or over, transgress”), from tres- (“across, over”) + passer (“to pass”).

#### Verb

trespass (third-person singular simple present trespasses, present participle trespassing, simple past and past participle trespassed)
* (intransitive, now rare) To commit an offence; to sin.
    Synonym: transgress
** 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 2 Chronicles 28:22:In the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the Lord.
* (transitive, obsolete) To offend against, to wrong (someone).
** 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Matthew vj:[14]:And forgeve us oure trespases, even as we forgeve them which trespas us.
* (intransitive) To go too far; to put someone to inconvenience by demand or importunity; to intrude.
    Synonym: cross the line
    to trespass upon the time or patience of another
** 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], Pride and Prejudice: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:"Indeed I have, sir," was her answer. "She is a great deal too ill to be moved. Mr. Jones says we must not think of moving her. We must trespass a little longer on your kindness."
* (law) To enter someone else's property illegally.
* (obsolete) To pass beyond a limit or boundary; hence, to depart; to go.
    Synonyms: exceed, surpass, transcend
** 1523–1525, Jean Froissart, John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners (translator), Froissart's Chronicles
    Soon after this, noble Robert de Bruce […] trespassed out of this uncertain world.
* (transitive, law enforcement) To decree that a person or group of people shall be arrested for trespassing if they return to someone else's property.
    The dean trespassed the streaker from his university.
** 1996 April 16, Glenn Campbell, “Another Business Office Found”, in The Groom Lake Desert Rat‎, number 35, Rachel, NV, archived from the original on 23 February 1998:"You were trespassing on private property when you were taking pictures," he said, with no hint of courtesy. "I must trespass you. Come with me."
** 2012 June 21, Greg O'Connor, “Criminal trespasses police officers”, in Stuff‎:The entire police force has in effect been trespassed from a Wellington property to stop officers checking whether a heavy-sleeping offender is complying with an overnight bail curfew.

##### Derived terms

* trespasser

##### Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Further reading

* “trespass”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
* William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “trespass”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
* “trespass”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
* “trespass”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

### Anagrams

* pastress, sparsest