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DictionarytransgressViolate a rule or limit
verb

transgress

tranz-GRESS/trænzˈɡres/

To break a rule or go beyond an accepted limit.

People who transgress the law risk fines or imprisonment.

Visitor violates museum barrier rule despite attendant stop gesture.
Etymology
transLatinacross, beyond
+gressLatinto walk, go

“Across” and “to walk” create the image of stepping over a boundary. A law or moral rule is treated as that boundary, so crossing it means violating what is prescribed.

In context

Libranima622:43
extraordinary men have a right to commit any crime and to transgress the law in any way
Crime and Punishment - Dostoevsky (Illustrated Audiobook) Part 1 of 2

More examples

  • The committee transgressed its own rules by holding a secret vote.
  • His personal questions transgress the boundaries of polite conversation.
  • Anyone who transgresses faces the same penalty.

Forms

transgress · transgresses · transgressed · transgressing

transgression noun — An act that breaks a rule.

transgressor noun — A person who breaks a rule.

Similar words

violate
More commonly used for breaking laws, rules, or agreements.
overstep
Emphasizes exceeding the limits of authority or acceptable behavior.
flout
Suggests openly disregarding a rule, often with deliberate defiance.