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contravene

[kon-truh-veen]
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verb (used with object), con·tra·vened, con·tra·ven·ing.
  1. to come or be in conflict with; go or act against; deny or oppose: to contravene a statement.
  2. to violate, infringe, or transgress: to contravene the law.
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Origin of contravene

1560–70; < Late Latin contrāvenīre, equivalent to Latin contrā against + venīre to come
Related formscon·tra·ven·er, noun
Can be confusedcontravene controvert
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for contravene

hinder, overstep, impugn, violate, repudiate, disobey, interfere, infringe, negate, breach, defy, transgress, exclude, resist, intrude, spurn, combat, cross, encroach, interpose

Examples from the Web for contravene

Historical Examples of contravene

  • Nature is always consistent, though she feigns to contravene her own laws.

    Essays, Second Series

    Ralph Waldo Emerson

  • All who contravene these orders will be tried by court-martial.

  • Arsinoe did not contravene the arrangements of the two women.

  • The only prescription is that it shall not contravene the provisions of the proclamation.

  • Going to bed early does not contravene or anticipate the difficulty.

    Opium Eating

    Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for contravene

contravene

verb (tr)
  1. to come into conflict with or infringe (rules, laws, etc)
  2. to dispute or contradict (a statement, proposition, etc)
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Derived Formscontravener, nouncontravention (ˌkɒntrəˈvɛnʃən), noun

Word Origin for contravene

C16: from Late Latin contrāvenīre, from Latin contra- + venīre to come
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for contravene

v.

1560s, from Middle French contravenir "to transgress, decline, depart," from Late Latin contravenire "to come against," in Medieval Latin "to transgress," from Latin contra "against" (see contra) + venire "to come" (see venue). Related: Contravened; contravening.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper