violation

noun

ˌvī-ə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce violation (audio)
Definition of violationnext
1
as in crime
a breaking of a moral or legal code in colonial times blasphemy was considered a serious civil violation that merited harsh punishment

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in infringement
a failure to uphold the requirements of law, duty, or obligation a military action that must be regarded as a violation of the treaty

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in rape
the act of forcing a person to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse war crimes include the violation of civilians

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of violation Dean William Treanor called the threat a constitutional violation. — Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026 OpenAI has pushed back against wrongful death and product liability lawsuits, alleging user misuse and violation of usage policies. — Laura Reiley, Vanity Fair, 9 Oct. 2026 Even though the cameras aren’t yet issuing official tickets — the program must undergo a 60-day warning period in November — preliminary testing data captured approximately 100,000 speeding violations over the course of nine days last month. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 Starlink can terminate or suspend the service for rule violations. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for violation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for violation
  1. crime
  2. infringement
  3. rape
  4. sin
  5. breach
  6. assault
  7. felony
  8. trespass
Noun
  • New York City has policies that limit local law enforcement from sharing certain information with federal officers or honoring detainer requests unless immigrants have been convicted of violent crimes.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
  • All three are crime drama-thrillers, the most exportable and ordered of program types, but all three reject tropes of the genre.
    — John Hopewell, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of crime
Noun
  • The ruling came as part of a widening patent infringement dispute with Halozyme Therapeutics over the best-selling cancer treatment.
    — Ed Silverman, STAT, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The defendants — Capitol Records, Universal Music Group, Sony Publishing and Kobalt Music Publishing America — were notified in writing of the infringement in August, the lawsuit says.
    — Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of infringement
Noun
  • Russ has a solid roster of people from different stretches of Tyson’s life, from childhood friends to gym partners to follow boxers to family members to several of the women who didn’t divorce him or accuse him of rape.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Soon thereafter, she is diagnosed with dementia and learns that her grandson has committed serial rape.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of rape
Noun
  • Catholic teaching still calls suicide a grave sin, but recognizes mental illness can diminish responsibility; advocates want mental health ministries in parishes worldwide.
    — Luis Andres Henao, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • If the sin of Mars’ album was being too predictable, Styles’ bold and unexpected Kiss All the Time.
    — Alan Light, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of sin
Noun
  • Advertisement No other countries have confirmed related breaches so far.
    — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Avichai Mandelblit indicted the prime minister seven years ago on fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of breach
Noun
  • The University of Arizona has suspended activities at its fraternities following persistent reports of misconduct, including assault, hazing and drug and alcohol-related behavior, a university official said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Fleming was received from Los Angeles County in 2019 to serve a 42-year sentence for second-degree robbery and assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
    — Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of assault
Noun
  • But then in January 2024 a grand jury indicted Baldwin on felony involuntary manslaughter charges and special prosecutors re-filed their case.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Hartbower had an outstanding felony arrest warrant on an assault charge out of Yuba City, in neighboring Sutter County, and was on post-release community supervision in Yuba County, police said.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of felony
Noun
  • Last month, two girls and a father decided to protest — which ultimately led to the dad being served a criminal trespass notice.
    — Matt Calkins OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Two people were issued criminal trespass warnings, the sheriff's office said.
    — Sophia Vlahakis, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of trespass

Browse Nearby Words

violating
violation
violations
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Violation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/violation. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of outlandish

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All