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:
Neither tenure nor academic freedom protect professors who regularly violate their institution’s policies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
The interior ministry said it had detained 37 people on Monday who tried to obstruct the rules and "grossly violate public order".
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
“Members of the television press pool have boycotted covering White House events. Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act,” Justice Department spokeswoman Emily Covington said in a statement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
"Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act," an antitrust measure, Covington wrote in a statement.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
They are more like perfectly tooled but crazy little machines, and we violate science when we try to read human meanings in their arrangements.
From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas
Zoe nearly destroys Rushville to save herself, while John almost violates his principles to seize the ring from Hal, per the Guardians’ orders, and take out Zoe.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
The organisation, which wants an end to IPPs, said the sentence "violates serious human rights".
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
Hadley wanted to remind potential jumpers that the act of leaping from the cliffs violates a San Diego municipal code and could result in fines of $100 or more.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
The US Treasury did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the new $1 coin violates that law.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
“And okay, fair enough, but there is this unwritten contract between author and reader and I think not ending your book kind of violates that contract.”
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
The couple provided Finnish authorities with evidence, seen by the BBC, including a video of Russian police telling his mother that more than 300 posts had violated Russian law.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
"The Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these news organizations have violated the antitrust laws."
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
Sykes said she granted the motion because the detainees were likely to succeed on claims that the government violated their constitutional and disability rights.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Investment Policy Committee, was brought by former Intel employees who allege that plan managers violated the Employee Retirement Income Security Act’s duty of prudence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
To be “charged” meant that a warder claimed that a prisoner had violated a specific regulation, which could be punished by isolation or by loss of meals and privileges.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Treasury Department said it is imposing $1.21 billion in penalties against Bank of America for violating laws designed to prevent financial crimes.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
The judge temporarily halted further tree removal until at least Tuesday afternoon, warning that violating her order could trigger contempt proceedings.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
The lawsuit alleged LaBeouf accused Barnett of breaching their settlement agreement by violating its nondisclosure provisions after she gave an interview to the Hollywood Reporter that was published in October 2025.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
D2 accused her of violating a non-compete and said she owed $14,327.50 of her earnings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
This was the first time in my life that I had ever consciously entertained the idea of violating the laws of the land.
From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
