contravene

verb

con·​tra·​vene ˌkän-trə-ˈvēn 

contravened; contravening

transitive verb

1

: to go or act contrary to : violate

contravene a law

2

: to oppose in argument : contradict

contravene a proposition

contravener noun

Did you know?

Contravene is most often used in reference to laws. So a government may take a company to court claiming that its policies are in contravention of national labor laws. The contravention of copyright laws is a big topic today especially where electronic information is involved. And a country might be punished if a trade organization finds that it's contravening international trade agreements.

Synonyms

• breach
• break
• fracture
• infringe (on or upon)
• offend
• traduce
• transgress
• violate

Choose the Right Synonym for contravene

deny, gainsay, contradict, contravene mean to refuse to accept as true or valid.

deny implies a firm refusal to accept as true, to grant or concede, or to acknowledge the existence or claims of.

denied the charges

gainsay implies disputing the truth of what another has said.

no one can gainsay her claims

contradict implies an open or flat denial.

her account contradicts his

contravene implies not so much an intentional opposition as some inherent incompatibility.

laws that contravene tradition

Examples of contravene in a Sentence

The overcrowded dance club contravened safety regulations.

the unauthorized reproduction of the image contravenes copyright laws

Recent Examples on the Web

Without hesitation, Meghan challenged every guest whose conversation contravened her values. —Jack Royston, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025

In his speech before Congress, which was delivered in 2015, the pope urged a welcoming hand to refugees, not rejection, a theme that contravenes today’s Trump Administration policy of blocking newcomers at U.S. borders. —David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 21 Apr. 2025

In the days and weeks after Lai’s address, Taiwan’s National Immigration Agency revoked the visas of a handful of Chinese citizens for making online content that contravenes local laws. —Eryk Michael Smith, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025

Even though the Supreme Court has moved to quash Boasberg’s order over the venue, legal experts believe the judge still retains the authority to hold officials accountable for any actions that may have contravened his directives before they were vacated. —David Catanese, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French contrevenir, from Late Latin contravenire, from Latin contra- + venire to come — more at come

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for contravene

• acrolein
• adenine
• alkylene
• aniline
• anthracene
• aquiline
• asphaltene
• atlantean
• atrazine
• butadiene
• butylene
• caesarean