violate

1 of 2

verb

vi·​o·​late ˈvī-ə-ˌlāt How to pronounce violate (audio)
violated; violating

transitive verb

1
: break, disregard
violate the law
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
4
: interrupt, disturb
violate the peace of a spring eveningNancy Larter
violative adjective
violator noun

violate

2 of 2

adjective

vi·​o·​late ˈvī-ə-lət How to pronounce violate (audio)
archaic
: subjected to violation

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
Verb
Meriden police said Ganter violated the department's rules of conduct and he was suspended for five days without pay. CBS News, 13 Mar. 2024 The law applies to models operating in the EU and any firm that violates the rules risks a fine of up to 7 percent of its annual global profits. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024 Priests there could soon be sentenced to 14 years for refusing to violate the seal of confession. Frances Hui, National Review, 13 Mar. 2024 All of this, perhaps unsurprisingly, also violated state laws prohibiting the sale of game animal parts and the use of game animals on alternative livestock ranches. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 13 Mar. 2024 These systems are violating the sanctity of the person. Frank H. McCourt Jr., Fortune, 12 Mar. 2024 Tents can also occupy the site with a trailer, as long as the number of campers isn't violated. Detroit Free Press, 12 Mar. 2024 The issue was brought to federal court after the cattle growers claimed the earlier denial violated the Endangered Species Act and the Administrative Procedure Act. Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 2024 Such homophobia only enables the people who are still violating people in the shadows. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 29 Feb. 2024

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.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Latin violatus, past participle of violare, from viol- (as in violentus violent)

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of violate was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near violate

Cite this Entry

“Violate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/violate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

violate

verb
vi·​o·​late
ˈvī-ə-ˌlāt
violated; violating
1
: to fail to keep or observe : break
violate the law
2
: to do harm or damage to
3
: to treat with great disrespect
violate a house of worship
4
: disturb sense 1a
don't violate their privacy
violator
-ˌlāt-ər
noun

Legal Definition

violate

transitive verb
vi·​o·​late ˈvī-ə-ˌlāt How to pronounce violate (audio)
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
violation noun
violative adjective
violator noun

More from Merriam-Webster on violate

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