contravene

verb

con·​tra·​vene ˌkän-trə-ˈvēn How to pronounce contravene (audio)
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.

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 Officials from Seoul’s Unification Ministry and Foreign Ministry said the gift contravened UN Security Council resolutions banning the transfer or sale of luxury items to North Korea. Siladitya Ray, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Respecting the dead International law experts say the desecration of burial grounds contravenes the Rome Statute, the 1998 treaty that established and governs the International Criminal Court (ICC) to adjudicate war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity, and crimes of aggression. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2024 The ministry hailed the launch as achieving a milestone just after Pyongyang launched its first military spy satellite, which the United States and its allies have condemned for using missile technology contravening a UN security resolution. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 8 Dec. 2023 Perhaps the recollection lapse has something to do with the delay in American entry into the brutal conflict, which didn’t come for almost three years, contravening an early declaration of determined neutrality. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2023 But, for ideological reasons, his father forbade him to study biology; in Howard’s view, the possibility of genetic determinism contravened the Communist belief in the ultimate malleability of human nature. Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023 In the European Union, regulators have warned social media platforms against content that contravenes its Digital Services Act. Darren Loucaides, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2023 Google’s lawyers argue that treating YouTube as the publisher of Islamic State group videos would contravene Section 230. Michael W. Carroll, The Conversation, 23 Feb. 2023 This contravenes Mississippi’s criminal rules, which require that during a defendant’s initial court appearance, a judge should find out if that defendant can afford a lawyer and appoint one if not. Caleb Bedillion, ProPublica, 18 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contravene.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of contravene was in 1567

Dictionary Entries Near contravene

Cite this Entry

“Contravene.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contravene. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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