A transgression is when someone crosses a line they shouldn't cross, breaking a rule or doing something wrong. When you commit a transgression, you've gone beyond what's allowed or acceptable.

The word often appears in serious contexts. A student might commit a minor transgression by talking during silent reading time, while stealing from a store would be a major transgression. Religious texts speak of moral transgressions: actions that violate important ethical principles. In history books, you might read about a country's transgressions against another nation, meaning serious wrongdoing or violations of treaties.

What makes something a transgression rather than just a mistake? A transgression involves knowing there's a boundary and stepping over it anyway. If you accidentally knock over your sister's project, that's not a transgression. But if you deliberately break her toy because you're angry, you've transgressed against the rules of your household and against basic fairness.

The word transgress means to commit a transgression. Someone who transgresses has crossed a line, violated a rule, or done something they knew was wrong. While the word sounds formal, the concept is simple: it's the difference between wandering off a path by accident and deliberately jumping a fence you were told not to cross.