What does breached mean?
"Breached" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "breach," meaning to break, violate, or fail to honour a law, agreement, duty, or standard. It is most often heard in formal and legal contexts: a company may have breached a contract, an employee breached confidentiality, or a government breached human rights obligations. The word also has a concrete, physical sense — to break through a wall, dam, dyke, or other barrier, as when floodwaters breached a levee or enemy forces breached city defences. A third, more playful sense describes a whale breaching, that is, leaping clear of the water's surface. The word derives from Old English and is closely related to "break." Because it implies a failure of trust, defence, or obligation, "breached" almost always carries negative connotations, making it a powerful word in journalism, law, and everyday descriptions of broken promises and compromised systems.
verb (past tense and past participle of breach); also used adjectivallyThe past tense and past participle of "breach": to have broken or failed to observe a law, agreement, code of conduct, or standard; or to have broken through a barrier, wall, or defence.
- To have broken a law, contract, agreement, or code of conduct.
- To have broken through or made an opening in a physical barrier or defensive position.
- (Of whales) to have risen and broken through the surface of the water (from the verb 'breach').
"The company breached its contractual obligations by delivering faulty equipment."
"The court ruled that the landlord had repeatedly breached the tenancy agreement."
"Floodwaters breached the levee overnight, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate."
When hackers "breach" your data, they are doing what medieval armies did to castle walls — the word hasn't changed much since soldiers first smashed through fortifications.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of breached
"Breach" comes from Old English "bræc" or "brec," related to the verb "brecan," meaning to break, reflecting the Germanic root underlying modern English "break" and Dutch "breuk." Originally referring to a literal breaking or gap — especially in walls or defences — it developed figurative meanings in Middle English, covering ruptures in peace, agreements, and duties. The verb "to breach" followed the same path, so "breached" today preserves this ancient link between physically breaking through and morally or legally breaking faith.
Related word forms
How breached is actually used
"Breached" carries a formal, often negative register — it typically appears in legal, corporate, and security contexts where trust or rules have been violated. In everyday speech it is common in phrases like "data breach" reporting. Its use for whales surfacing is a specialist but genuine sense.
Easily confused with breached
"Broached" means raised a difficult subject for discussion or opened something up (e.g. a cask), whereas "breached" means broke a rule, agreement, or barrier.