violated

American  

[vahy-uh-ley-tid] / ˈvaɪ əˌleɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. (of a law, principle, promise, agreement, instruction, etc.) acted against; not kept or honored; broken or transgressed.

   The often violated rule of thumb is that families should not spend more than 30 percent of their budget on housing.

   After this betrayal by local authorities, it will take some effort to restore the violated trust of the community.

2. (of something precious, sacred, beautiful, etc.) treated with disrespect or contempt; marred or desecrated.

   British art of the World War I era is full of images of a torn and violated landscape.

   The discovery of the violated tombs has caused pain and distress among the people of the area.

3. sexually molested, especially raped.

   History shows repeatedly the difficulty for a violated woman to be heard and believed.

4. rudely disturbed; thoughtlessly interfered with.

   They complain about their violated privacy, but then post way more online than anyone wants to know about them.

5. (of a border, home, property, restricted space, etc.) broken through or into by force or without right.

   Law enforcement was able to get to the violated border point before the smuggler escaped.

---

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of violate.

Other Word Forms

• quasi-violated
  adjective
• unviolated
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of violated

First recorded in 1535–45; violate ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; violate ( def. ) + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

"The Dutch side's actions seriously violated China's territorial sovereignty and maritime and air security, seriously breached international law and the basic norms of international relations," the statement said.

From Barron's • May 28, 2026

Flemish-Artois Coastal Environmental Defense Assembly, an environmental group known as ADELFA, challenged the decision in November last year, arguing the permit should be withdrawn because the facility violated local planning rules.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

These judges first found that the Legislature had violated Section 2 of the VRA by diluting Black representation in 2022, after which Alabama went to the Supreme Court and lost in Allen v.

From Slate • May 26, 2026

On May 11, the nonpartisan watchdog organization Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics filed a complaint with the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General, alleging the venture violated federal gift and travel rules.

From Salon • May 18, 2026

And the very notion that a candidate should openly solicit votes violated the principled presumption that such behavior itself represented a confession of unworthiness for national office.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis