violation
noun
vi·o·la·tion
ˌvī-ə-ˈlā-shən 
a
: infringement, transgression
specifically
: an infringement of the rules in sports that is less serious than a foul and usually involves technicalities of play
b
: an act of irreverence or desecration : profanation
c
Examples of violation in a Sentence
a serious violation of the law
A second violation was called on the basketball player.
He was arrested for violation of his parole.
The group monitors human rights violations.
trying to prevent violation of human rights
Recent Examples on the Web
Pawel Chudzicki, whose law firm handled the licenses for Global Risk, told me that the State Department had conducted an inquiry in response to the Associated Press article and identified no violations of the law.
—
David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Chicago shall take a restorative justice approach to rights violations and nonviolent criminal charges, and not discriminate against people based on prior criminal status.
—Tracy Baim, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
The decision drew formal protests from Italy and the Vatican, who condemned the closure as a violation of religious freedom and sacred worship rights.
—Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
The justice center sent anonymous testers that year looking for potential accessibility problems and violations of the federal Fair Housing Act.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for violation
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David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Chicago shall take a restorative justice approach to rights violations and nonviolent criminal charges, and not discriminate against people based on prior criminal status.
—Tracy Baim, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
The decision drew formal protests from Italy and the Vatican, who condemned the closure as a violation of religious freedom and sacred worship rights.
—Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
The justice center sent anonymous testers that year looking for potential accessibility problems and violations of the federal Fair Housing Act.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for violation
Cite this Entry
“Violation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/violation. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
violation
noun
vi·o·la·tion
ˌvī-ə-ˈlā-shən
: an act or an instance of violating : the state of being violated
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