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Law vocabulary · Rights & Obligations

Breach

Meaning in law, with examples

/briːtʃ/nounCore term

In law, breach means: The act of breaking a law, a contract term or a duty; also used as a verb meaning to break such a rule or promise.

In Turkish: ihlal, aykırılık, ihlal etmek

How it is used

Most common in 'breach of contract', 'breach of duty' and 'breach of confidentiality'. As a verb: 'the supplier breached the agreement'. A party 'is in breach of' a clause, and a 'material breach' is serious enough to end the contract.

Example sentences

  1. The distributor is in breach of clause 7 because it sold outside its territory.

  2. We are suing for breach of contract and asking for damages of 200,000 euros.

Common collocations

  • breach of contract
  • material breach
  • be in breach of
  • breach of duty
  • remedy a breach
  • contractAn agreement between two or more parties that the law will enforce, setting out what each side must do or give.
  • obligationSomething that a person or organisation must do because a law, a contract or a court order requires it.
  • damagesMoney that a court orders one party to pay another as compensation for loss or harm caused by a breach of contract or another legal wrong.
  • liabilityLegal responsibility for something, especially the duty to pay for harm, loss or debts; in accounting, also an amount that a company owes.
  • remedyThe way a court puts right a wrong or protects a right, for example by ordering payment of money, banning an action or requiring a contract to be performed.

More terms: Rights & Obligations

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.