Breach

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /bɹiːtʃ/

Definitions

1. A violation of a standard or protocol happens when actions defy accepted norms
2. an act of breaking through a physical barrier allows entry into a restricted space
3. The act of failing to observe a rule or contract ; an opening created by breaking through a physical barrier

Etymology: The English noun "breach" has been around for over a thousand years, and its core idea is physical damage: a fracture or gap. Old English had two related words, "bryċe", meaning a fracture or breach, and "brǣċ", meaning a breaking or destruction. Both grew from Germanic roots built on the idea of breaking, and the same family gave English "break" itself. The "ch" spelling and the ch-sound are the older Germanic ending that English has retained in this word. Over the centuries the word kept its literal sense of a gap torn through a wall, a dike, or a ship's hull, which is why military and flood-defence writing still uses it. From that concrete sense came the figurative meanings: a breach of promise, a breach of trust, or a breach of the peace. The verb grew out of the same root, so "to breach" means to make a gap in something, such as a wall, or to break through a barrier.

Synonyms: violation, infringement, break, contravention, transgression

Antonyms: compliance, observance, agreement, conformity, harmony