violate
Americanverb (used with object)
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violates,
present (3rd person singular)
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violated,
past participle, past
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violating
present participle
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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.
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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.
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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.
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to break in upon or disturb rudely; interfere thoughtlessly with.
These surveillance cameras violate my privacy.
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to molest sexually, especially to rape.
verb
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to break, disregard, or infringe (a law, agreement, etc)
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to rape or otherwise sexually assault
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to disturb rudely or improperly; break in upon
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to treat irreverently or disrespectfully; outrage
he violated a sanctuary
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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
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violabilitynoun
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violaternoun
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violationnoun
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violatornoun
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previolateverb (used with object)
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reviolateverb (used with object)
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violableadjective
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violativeadjective
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violablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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violatesimple
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violatessimple
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have violatedperfect
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has violatedperfect
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am violatingprogressive
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are violatingprogressive
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is violatingprogressive
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have been violatingperfect progressive
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has been violatingperfect progressive
Past
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violatedsimple
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had violatedperfect
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was violatingprogressive
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were violatingprogressive
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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
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Lesson 1
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"Too Young to Drive?" and "Rules of the Road"
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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:
Writing on X, Kalshi's lead lawyer Bobby DeNault welcomed the decision: "It doesn't matter who you are: violate our rules or federal law and you will face the consequences."
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
But critics say the cameras violate privacy rights and have been used by officers to stalk innocent people.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
On Friday, W. Mark Ward, a judge appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court to review her case, gave the go-ahead for the execution, ruling that the state’s execution process would not violate Pike’s constitutional rights.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
Regulators around the world have been ramping up enforcement against social media companies that violate laws around protecting children's data, privacy and safety.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
But even if I were to ask, even if I were to violate decorum to that extent, Rita would not allow it.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
In the end, the high court’s directions did not change Hittner’s determination that the law violates the 1st and 14th amendments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
When Teng feels that including a photo of dead children violates their dignity, Perlmutter chides her, insisting that their obligation is to show Americans what their tax dollars are funding.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
The AGs also claim Meta violates the 1998 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act because it doesn’t do enough to block underage users who misrepresent their age.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Earlier this year, a group of attorneys general filed suit to block Nexstar Media Group’s proposed $6.2-billion acquisition of Tegna, arguing it violates a 112-year-old U.S. antitrust law by knocking out a major competitor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
He is not one for breaking rules, as it violates his army training.
From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina
The states are claiming that Meta violated both state-level and federal laws, though the exact allegations vary by state.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
It has the power to freeze a country's membership or suspend its voting rights if it is found to have seriously violated the rule of law.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
“We thought they were reaching out to us in good faith ... unfortunately, they violated the rules of engagement,” Bonta said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
The Post called Attiah’s comments “gross misconduct” and said they violated its social media policy.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
Academics would have violated their generation’s ideal of openness if they had said that their schools couldn’t accommodate disadvantaged Americans.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
The company said between January and March 2026, 99.8% of the content removed for violating those policies it took down proactively.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Still, Ippolito-Shepherd said she documented Cackett violating the order more than 145 times.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
“The risk-taking can be happening in secret, and that gets into violating trust and financial infidelity,” Taylor warned.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
The lab team also worried about violating longstanding safeguards limiting use of private citizen data.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
I felt like I was on an away mission, disguised to infiltrate and observe another culture without violating the Prime Directive.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
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.
