vi·o·late
ˈvī-ə-ˌlāt 
violated; violating
2
: to do harm to the person or especially the chastity of
specifically
: rape sense 1
3
: to fail to show proper respect for : profane
violate a shrine
Synonyms
Examples of violate in a Sentence
Verb
He was arrested for violating his parole.
The company violated its customers' privacy.
She was attacked and violated by an unknown intruder.
Recent Examples on the Web
Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 12 July 2024
The Mets were down a man in eight of those games while closer Edwin Diaz served a suspension for violating the league’s prohibition on foreign substances.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 12 July 2024
Detectives found a photo of Mondragon holding a rifle on his Facebook account posted in July 2022, and he was charged with violating the risk protection order stemming from the post.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 12 July 2024
Artist Daniel Arsham has been accused of violating national labor laws, including firing an employee in retaliation for their union activities, in a complaint filed Tuesday by a Brooklyn regional director of the National Labor Relations Board.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 12 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for violate 
Verb
Any government employee who violates the law could be charged with misusing public monies, which is punishable by an up to $10,000 fine and a maximum of 14 years in prison.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 12 July 2024
The Mets were down a man in eight of those games while closer Edwin Diaz served a suspension for violating the league’s prohibition on foreign substances.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 12 July 2024
Detectives found a photo of Mondragon holding a rifle on his Facebook account posted in July 2022, and he was charged with violating the risk protection order stemming from the post.
—Angie Dimichele, Sun Sentinel, 12 July 2024
Artist Daniel Arsham has been accused of violating national labor laws, including firing an employee in retaliation for their union activities, in a complaint filed Tuesday by a Brooklyn regional director of the National Labor Relations Board.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 12 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for violate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'violate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near violate
Cite this Entry
“Violate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/violate. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
violate
transitive verb
vi·o·late
ˈvī-ə-ˌlāt
violated; violating
: to go against (as a prohibition or principle) : fail to observe or respect
violate a law
civil rights were violated
violate due process
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share