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.

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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

Lawyers argued health and safety regulations were being violated.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

However, Bernie Madoff was a fiduciary, and he violated the trust of his clients in a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

Paul says she had violated the group’s rules by meeting with a partner without her husband’s knowledge, which contributed to their divorce.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

To rewind the tape, the court held that the NCAA’s restrictions on education-related benefits for student athletes violated federal antitrust laws.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

The round usually began with a collective discomfort on the first tee, after Eisman turned up wearing something that violated the Wall Street golfer’s notion of propriety.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis