- 1[countable, uncountable] breach of something a failure to do something that must be done by law a breach of contract/copyright/warranty They are in breach of Article 119. (British English) (a) breach of the peace (= the crime of behaving in a noisy or violent way in public) Selling goods constituted a breach of regulation 10B. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveclear, fundamental, grave, … verb + breachconstitute, commit, remedy, … prepositionin breach of, breach of phrasesa breach of confidence, a breach of trust, (a) breach of confidentiality, … See full entry See related entries: Justice
- 2[countable, uncountable] breach of something an action that breaks an agreement to behave in a particular way a breach of confidence/trust a breach of security (= when something that is normally protected is no longer secure) Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveclear, fundamental, grave, … verb + breachconstitute, commit, remedy, … prepositionin breach of, breach of phrasesa breach of confidence, a breach of trust, (a) breach of confidentiality, … See full entry
- 3[countable] a break in a relationship between people or countries a breach in Franco-German relations Oxford Collocations Dictionary verb + breachcause, lead to, heal, … prepositionbreach between, breach with See full entry
- 4[countable] an opening that is created during a military attack or by strong winds or seas They escaped through a breach in the wire fence. A breach in the mountain wall permits warm sea air to penetrate inland. See related entries: Conflict Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French breche, ultimately of Germanic origin; related to break.Extra examples He refused to shake hands, in deliberate breach of etiquette. He was sued for breach of contract. She left home following the breach with her family. Such actions constitute a breach of confidentiality. The court’s decision is in breach of the Convention. The court’s decision is in breach of the European Convention on human rights. What caused the breach between the two brothers? a minor breach of discipline (a) breach of the peace She stepped into the breach caused by Stella’s illness. The disagreement caused a serious breach in Franco-German relations. The mortars blew a large breach in the castle walls. This action is in breach of Article 119 of the Constitution. What had caused this sudden breach between father and son? a breach of confidence/trust a breach of contract/copyright/warrantyIdioms
breach
nounBrE BrE//briːtʃ//; NAmE NAmE//briːtʃ//
(formal) Justice, Conflictto do somebody’s job or work when they are suddenly or unexpectedly unable to do it
Check pronunciation: breach
