Commit a transgression

USAGE SUMMARY

"commit a transgression" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it in contexts discussing moral or legal violations. Example: "He was found guilty of committing a transgression against the law." Alternative expressions include "violate a rule" and "break a law."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

If Serebrennikov did commit a transgression, what was the true nature of it?

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Where you give a punishment to someone who commits a transgression – not a crime – so that the whole group know what is good, what is bad, what is wrong, what is right.

The Guardian - Sport

Any young supporter, perhaps howling with drink and emotion, who commits a transgression at or near a stadium can expect the full force of the law as laid down by their favourite club.

The Guardian - Opinion

The word was printed in purple and I was proud of stamping myself, as if I was committing a transgression, but hadn't been caught.

Huffington Post

The truth is, I have committed a double transgression.

The Guardian - Opinion

In constantly castigating Alex Salmond and his party they committed a monstrous transgression.

The Guardian

"Showing people feeling positively after committing a moral transgression is pretty novel," said Scott Wiltermuth, an assistant professor in the business school at the University of Southern California, who writes about behavioral ethics and was not involved in this study.

The New York Times

To begin with, in crossing the line between philosophical reason, based on ordinary experience, and supra-rational intuition, based on extra-ordinary religious experience, Nishida had purportedly committed a methodological transgression.

SEP

"The ideal is for employees to recognize when they've committed a minor transgression and check themselves," Michael S. Christian, one of the paper's co-authors, wrote.

Huffington Post

In our house, the 1970s is the big gun, the punishment for having committed a major transgression and it turns out they don't need too many intertemporal trips before they get the message.

Huffington Post

"Our religious expulsion process continued, which found her guilty of having committed a dozen transgressions, leading to her being formally expelled.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "commit a transgression" when you want to convey a formal tone in describing a violation of rules, laws, or moral principles. It is particularly useful in legal, ethical, or philosophical discussions.

Common error

Avoid using "commit a transgression" in casual conversations or informal writing. Simpler phrases like "make a mistake" or "do something wrong" are more appropriate in those settings.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "commit a transgression" functions as a verb phrase where "commit" is the verb and "a transgression" is the noun phrase acting as the object. This phrase is used to describe the action of violating a rule, law, or moral principle, as evidenced by the Ludwig examples.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Academia

25%

Encyclopedias

20%

Less common in

Science

10%

Formal & Business

10%

Wiki

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "commit a transgression" is a grammatically correct verb phrase used to describe the violation of rules, laws, or moral principles. Ludwig AI indicates it's suitable for formal contexts, though relatively rare in overall usage. Its primary function is to formally and critically describe actions that breach established norms, with related phrases including "perpetrate an offense" and "engage in wrongdoing". When writing, reserve this phrase for serious discussions of ethics, law, or moral failings, and avoid it in casual settings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Engage in wrongdoing

Implies involvement in immoral or illegal activities.

Break a law

Directly refers to violating a legal statute.

Perpetrate an offense

Focuses on the act of causing something morally or legally wrong.

Infringe a rule

Highlights the breaking of a specific regulation or guideline.

Violate a principle

Specifically refers to the contravention of a moral or ethical guideline.

Act immorally

Emphasizes the unethical nature of the action.

Do wrong

A simple, general way of saying someone acted inappropriately or unethically.

Behave badly

A more general term for actions considered inappropriate or immoral.

Err

Implies a mistake or deviation from what is right or expected.

Sin

Focuses on religious or moral wrongdoing.

FAQs

How to use "commit a transgression" in a sentence?

The phrase "commit a transgression" is used to describe the act of violating a law, rule, or moral principle. For example, "If Serebrennikov did "commit a transgression", what was the true nature of it?"

What can I say instead of "commit a transgression"?

You can use alternatives like "perpetrate an offense", "engage in wrongdoing", or "violate a principle" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "commit a transgression" or "make a transgression"?

"Commit a transgression" is the correct and more commonly used phrase. "Make a transgression" is not standard English.

What's the difference between "commit a transgression" and "make a mistake"?

"Commit a transgression" implies a more serious violation of rules or moral principles, whereas "make a mistake" suggests a simple error or unintentional action.