Legal Definitions - transgress

To transgress means to go beyond or violate an established limit, rule, law, or boundary. It describes an action that breaks a standard, crosses a forbidden line, or exceeds what is permitted.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of transgressing:

• Environmental Regulations: A manufacturing plant, in an effort to cut costs, disposes of chemical waste into a local river at levels exceeding those permitted by environmental protection laws. This action constitutes a transgression of the established environmental regulations.

  Explanation: The plant's actions went beyond the legal limits set for waste disposal, thereby violating the law.

• Company Policy: An employee, despite signing a non-disclosure agreement, shares confidential company financial data with a competitor. This act is a clear transgression of the company's data security and confidentiality policies.

  Explanation: The employee broke the explicit rules and boundaries set by the company's policy and their contractual agreement.

• Traffic Laws: A motorist drives through a residential neighborhood at 60 miles per hour, significantly exceeding the posted speed limit of 25 miles per hour. By doing so, the driver transgresses the local traffic laws.

  Explanation: The driver's speed went beyond the legal limit established for that road, violating the law.