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trespass

tres·pass/ˈtɹɛspæs/noun, verb

trespass is spelled T-R-E-S-P-A-S-S: 8 letters and 2 syllables (tres·pass). It appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 25,070th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, trespass means “An intentional interference with another's property or person” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of trespass is trespasses.

How many letters and syllables are in trespass?

Letters8: T-R-E-S-P-A-S-S
Syllables2: tres·pass
In writing1.3 times per million words; the 25,070th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is trespass?

Trespass appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 25,070th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce trespass?

  • US /ˈtɹɛspæs/
  • US /ˈtɹæspæs/
  • UK /ˈtɹɛspəs/

Trespass has 2 syllables, split tres·pass in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-trespass.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of trespass

  • trespasses plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • trespassing participle, present
  • trespassed participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does trespass mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    An intentional interference with another's property or person.

  2. 2

    archaicsin

verb

  1. 1

    archaicTo commit an offence; to sin.

  2. 2

    obsoleteTo offend against, to wrong (someone).

  3. 3

    To go too far; to put someone to inconvenience by demand or importunity; to intrude.

    to trespass upon the time or patience of another

  4. 4

    To enter someone else's property illegally.

  5. 5

    obsoleteTo pass beyond a limit or boundary; hence, to depart; to go.

  6. 6

    To subject [someone] to a trespass notice, formally notifying them that they are prohibited from entry to a property, such that any current or future presence there will constitute trespass, (especially) criminal trespass

    The dean trespassed the streaker from his university.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Trespass in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
GermanHausfriedensbruch, Landfriedensbruch (law), unbefugt betreten, unerlaubt betreten, eindringen, übertreten (legal: to enter someone else's property…)
Portugueseinvasão (law), invadir, trespassar (legal: to enter someone else's property…), infringir (to commit an offence), ofender (''(obsolete in English)'' to offend against)
Spanishtraspaso (law), entrar sin autorización, entrar no autorizadamente, traspasar, translimitar (legal: to enter someone else's property…)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does trespass come from?

Borrowed into Middle English trespas, from Old French trespas (“passage; offense against the law”), from trespasser.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after trespass