breached

Breached is the past tense and past participle of the verb breach. It can describe something that has been broken through, violated, or failed to observe a boundary, rule, or agreement. As an adjective, breached characterizes conditions or entities that have been violated or penetrated, such as a breached firewall or a breached dam, or more abstractly, a breached contract.

In legal and contractual contexts, a breach occurs when one party fails to perform as required by a contract, law, or obligation. A material or substantial breach is one that defeats the purpose of the agreement and may justify remedies such as damages, termination of the contract, or specific performance, depending on jurisdiction and contract terms.

In information security, a data breach refers to unauthorized access, disclosure, or theft of confidential information. Data breaches trigger regulatory requirements, such as breach notification to affected individuals and authorities, and often lead to remediation and risk-management actions. In physical terms, a breach can describe a rupture or opening in a barrier, such as a breached levee or wall, potentially causing flooding or intrusion.

Breached is also used in everyday language to describe violations of norms, such as breach of etiquette, breach of trust, or breach of peace. Though context determines meaning, the core sense remains the same: an act or event that breaks through an established boundary or obligation.