breach of contract

Meaning

This term refers to a legal violation where one party fails to honor a binding agreement or contract. It is highly formal and commonly used in legal, corporate, and business contexts when discussing broken promises or unmet obligations.

Examples

• Failing to deliver the software on the agreed date constitutes a material breach of contract.

  Failing to deliver the software on the agreed date constitutes a material breach of contract.

• Our legal team is preparing to sue the supplier for breach of contract.

  Our legal team is preparing to sue the supplier for breach of contract.

• They were accused of a breach of contract after disclosing confidential client data.

  They were accused of a breach of contract after disclosing confidential client data.

• If you terminate the agreement early without cause, you may be liable for breach of contract.

  If you terminate the agreement early without cause, you may be liable for breach of contract.

• The company managed to resolve the breach of contract dispute out of court.

  The company managed to resolve the breach of contract dispute out of court.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ They made a breach of contract.

  ✓ They committed a breach of contract.

  The noun 'breach' is not typically paired with the verb 'make'. In formal English, you 'commit' a breach, or an action 'constitutes' a breach.

• ✗ The supplier broke the contract's breach.

  ✓ The supplier was in breach of contract.

  'Breach' is already the noun meaning the act of breaking. You do not 'break a breach'; instead, you are 'in breach of' the contract.

Related Expressions

Practice

• If they fail to pay by the deadline, it will be considered a ___.

  💡 A legal phrase for breaking a formal agreement.

  Show answer

  breach of contract

• The company was sued for ___ after failing to deliver the goods.

  💡 The legal term for violating a signed agreement.

  Show answer

  breach of contract