violate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
violates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
violated,
past participle, past
-
violating
present participle
-
to act against (a law, principle, promise, agreement, instruction, etc.); break, transgress, or fail to honor.
He violated city bylaws by building without a permit.
I’d stay longer, but I don’t want to violate my curfew.
-
to treat (something precious, sacred, beautiful, etc.) with disrespect or contempt; mar or desecrate.
They feel compelled to speak out against governments that violate human rights.
-
to break through or into by force or without right, as a border, home, property, restricted space, etc..
A hostile power has violated our airspace.
They returned to find that their home had been violated.
-
to break in upon or disturb rudely; interfere thoughtlessly with.
These surveillance cameras violate my privacy.
-
to molest sexually, especially to rape.
verb
-
to break, disregard, or infringe (a law, agreement, etc)
-
to rape or otherwise sexually assault
-
to disturb rudely or improperly; break in upon
-
to treat irreverently or disrespectfully; outrage
he violated a sanctuary
-
obsolete to mistreat physically
adjective
Usage
What else does violate mean? To violate is to breach some code of conduct, often in an egregious manner. It is often used to describe breaking the law or committing physical violence against another–especially rape and sexual assault. In Black slang, to violate someone is personally insulting or assaulting someone.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
violabilitynoun
-
violaternoun
-
violationnoun
-
violatornoun
-
previolateverb (used with object)
-
reviolateverb (used with object)
-
violableadjective
-
violativeadjective
-
violablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
violatesimple
-
violatessimple
-
have violatedperfect
-
has violatedperfect
-
am violatingprogressive
-
are violatingprogressive
-
is violatingprogressive
-
have been violatingperfect progressive
-
has been violatingperfect progressive
Past
-
violatedsimple
-
had violatedperfect
-
was violatingprogressive
-
were violatingprogressive
-
had been violatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of violate
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin violātus “treated with violence,” past participle of violāre “to treat with violence, violate,” apparently derivative of violentus violent ( def. ) (taking viol- as base); see -ate 1 ( def. )
Explanation
Violate is a verb that describes actions that show no respect for people, laws, property, and customs. Drivers violate the law when they fail to stop at red lights, and people violate your privacy when they eavesdrop on your personal conversations. Violate comes from the Latin word violatus which means "to break," as in a promise or oath. As members of our society, we make unspoken promises — to follow all laws, to help people if we can, or at the very least, not hurt them. So when we violate — laws, property, people's abilities to live safe, peaceful lives — we break the promises that come with being lawful citizens.
Vocabulary lists containing violate
"Tinker v. Des Moines": Excerpts from Justice Fortas's Opinion
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Lesson 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Too Young to Drive?" and "Rules of the Road"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The lack of enforcement power by the Southern Section only leads to coaches continuing to violate the rules.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026
Meta is doubling down on smart glasses and artificial intelligence even as concerns mount that wearable technology is being used to violate people’s privacy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
Some industry lobbyists noted that discussing restrictions amongst refiners could potentially violate antitrust laws.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Enough so that creators and marketing leaders will talk about them on the record—even though undisclosed ads violate guidelines from TikTok, Instagram, Meta, YouTube and the FTC.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
Check HER out There’s no way that doesn’t violate the dress code!
From "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" by Jordan Sonnenblick
Despite all the public discourse around loneliness and the need to connect, the cold call violates some of the communication norms we’ve spent decades developing.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026
The Southern Section cannot make personnel changes when a school violates rules, but it can prevent teams from playing in the playoffs if schools don’t self-report violations and decline to take action.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
The organisation, which wants an end to IPPs, said the sentence "violates serious human rights".
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
If Meta violates the terms, "we will be able to hold them in contempt of court," Bonta said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
Hopkins, the Supreme Court had recognized that racially selective enforcement violates equal protection of the laws.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
But all of this is uncharted territory for Congress, as Briffault explained: “The problem is, the laws have never been significantly enforced because they’ve never been violated in such an egregious way,” he said.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
However, she said neither the league nor the academy violated city rules, and maintains that the problems began only after she launched her campaign for Santa Fe Springs City Council.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
"Uefa's suggestions that Mr Infantino violated any law or ethical principle are categorically without merit."
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
Before transferring to Miami, Mensah settled a lawsuit from Duke alleging he violated an NIL contract when he sought to leave the school.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
Tag seemed everywhere, shooing the curious away from us, turning cars around that violated his single-file parking dictum.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
The Taliban government denies this and criticises Pakistan for violating Afghanistan's sovereignty and killing civilians.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
A South Korean court has handed a suspended one-year prison sentence to K-pop singer Song Min-ho after he was convicted of violating the country's military service law.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
The lawsuit alleges that the department is violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act by leaving canceled loan balances on credit reports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
According to Southern Section’s Blue Book rule 500.5, “Any school knowingly or unknowingly violating the rule may be suspended from membership in the CIF Southern Section.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
“And the Colonel will be keen to hear that you’re violating a certain written agreement by speaking with outsiders about employees of the Park.”
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
