violation

noun

vi·​o·​la·​tion ˌvī-ə-ˈlā-shən 

: the act of violating : the state of being violated: such as

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

: disturbance, interruption

d

: rape entry 1 sense 1, ravishment

Synonyms of violation

• crime
• sin
• felony
• breach
• trespass

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

The inspector noted two repeat violations — perishable items not being held at a safe temperature and an insufficient number of sinks for employees to wash their hands. — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Aug. 2026

The district attorney’s office’s community integrity unit discovered the Brady rule violation, according to a news release from the office. — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026

The sole violation against the original pair was for not reporting the relationship. — Kelsy Mittauer, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026

There was a time not so long ago when simply taking the image at the top of this article or even referring to the subject as the BT or Post Office Tower would technically have been a violation of the Official Secrets Act and a criminal offense. — David Szondy august 01, New Atlas, 1 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing violation

• in violation of
• moving violation

Rhymes for violation

• ablation
• aeration
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation

Kids Definition

violation

noun

vi·​o·​la·​tion ˌvī-ə-ˈlā-shən 

: an act or an instance of violating : the state of being violated