contravene
Americanverb (used with object)
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contravenes,
present (3rd person singular)
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contravened,
past participle, past
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contravening
present participle
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to come or be in conflict with; go or act against; deny or oppose.
to contravene a statement.
-
to violate, infringe, or transgress.
to contravene the law.
verb
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to come into conflict with or infringe (rules, laws, etc)
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to dispute or contradict (a statement, proposition, etc)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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contravenesimple
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contravenessimple
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have contravenedperfect
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has contravenedperfect
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am contraveningprogressive
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are contraveningprogressive
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is contraveningprogressive
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have been contraveningperfect progressive
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has been contraveningperfect progressive
Past
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contravenedsimple
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had contravenedperfect
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was contraveningprogressive
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were contraveningprogressive
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had been contraveningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of contravene
1560–70; < Late Latin contrāvenīre, equivalent to Latin contrā against + venīre to come
Explanation
To contravene means to go against or defy. You might contravene your parents' ban on sweets when your friend offers to share her candy because chocolate tastes too good to resist! If you contravene something in practice, you act in direct violation of a particular law or rule. Think about the times when someone has told you not to cross a line and you do anyway. You can also contravene in words though, which means you contradict or argue against a statement. Let's say you're debating gun control. If your opponent says that for the safety of all, it should be legal to carry a concealed weapon wherever you go, you might answer that the more concealed weapons there are, the more violence. You are contravening your opponent's argument.
Vocabulary lists containing contravene
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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“This represents an important victory for the principle that women who speak out about sexual abuse should not be silenced by NDAs that contravene California law,” Barnett attorney Rosengart said in the notice.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
The executive order also seemed to contravene an 1898 Supreme Court decision that confirmed that U.S.-born children of immigrant parents are entitled to American citizenship.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
While strictly speaking the events seem to contravene restrictions imposed on mass gatherings, they have been tolerated by the authorities.
From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026
At the time, it was said they would reopen once a "safe environment" - which does not contravene the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islamic law - had been established.
From BBC ● Jan. 23, 2026
My duty was plain: Waschout Hill seemed the only place which did not contravene any of the nineteen lessons I had learnt, and up it I walked.
From The Defence of Duffer's Drift by Ernest Dunlop Swinton
The UN, which has refused to co-operate with the system, and aid organisations say it contravenes the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence.
From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2025
"It contravenes Indonesia’s international obligations in relation to respect and protection for freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief, freedom of opinion and expression," he said.
From Reuters ● Sep. 20, 2023
Justice is always served when a court does not allow a defendant to manipulate a federal statute to their advantage in a way that contravenes its purpose.
From Slate ● Sep. 12, 2023
Isabel Rodriguez, the acting government spokeswoman, said Spain would not do anything which contravenes the constitution.
From Reuters ● Sep. 11, 2023
As the treaty is continued in force except where it contravenes the provisions of the act, I do not see any difficulty in admitting this interpretation.
From A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents Volume 9, part 1: Benjamin Harrison by Benjamin Harrison
The court struck down a previous ban on headscarves in primary schools in 2020 on the basis that it contravened the principle of Austria's religious neutrality.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
But the IOC said this contravened Games rules and, after Heraskevych refused to back down, disqualified him from competing.
From BBC ● Feb. 22, 2026
It previously said it would conduct an internal review of whether Singh contravened their rules.
From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2026
Detractors said the plan contravened Kenya’s constitution because it would place officers in unnecessary danger and was carried out without broader public dialogue or the direct authorization of the government agencies tasked with national security.
From New York Times ● Feb. 4, 2024
But if we are to deal with the Cosmos we must first understand it, even if our hopes for some unearned preferential status are, in the process, contravened.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
The flight did not seek authorisation from Saudi Arabia, contravening a practice in place for a decade.
From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026
British prosecutors on Monday charged Ajay Pant, the Indian captain of the Smyrtos, with contravening UK sanctions imposed on Russia following its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
Article 84 states a team contravening articles 82 and 83 will be removed from the competition.
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026
Nonkululeko Patricia Mantula is among five people who prosecutors say are facing charges for contravening a law which prohibits South Africans from joining a foreign army without official permission.
From BBC ● Dec. 1, 2025
The International Confederation of Wizards has had to fine certain nations repeatedly for contravening Clause 73.
From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
