violation

American  

[vahy-uh-lay-shuhn] / ˌvaɪ əˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

• violations
  plural

1. the act of violating.

2. the state of being violated.

3. a breach, infringement, or transgression, as of a law, rule, promise, etc..

   He was fined for a traffic violation.

4. desecration; profanation.

   the violation of a cemetery.

5. sexual molestation, especially rape.

6. a distortion of meaning or fact.

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Synonym Usage

See breach.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonviolation
  noun
• previolation
  noun
• reviolation
  noun
• violational
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• violations
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of violation

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin violātiōn- (stem of violātiō ), equivalent to violāt ( us ) ( see violate) + -iōn- -ion

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Explanation

Anytime a person crosses a boundary — a legal boundary, a moral boundary, a physical boundary, or a binding business deal — that's a violation. When a burglar picks the lock on your door, that's a violation of your property. A violation can be a disrespectful act or the crossing of someone’s physical boundaries. When you're forced to shake hands with your boss's wife, the way her perfume stings your eyes might feel like a violation. Violation is often used to describe an action that disregards an agreement or a basic right, such as a violation of a global climate treaty or a human rights violation.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

violation violations

"In addition, the figures show that the discussions held with the parents concerned in the event of a violation are, for the most part, successful," he added.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

In an email response to The Times, Kimberly Edds, spokesperson for the district attorney, said prosecutors were instead pursuing a probation violation against Lopez.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

Federal and state regulators asked a federal judge Tuesday to hold Martin Shkreli in contempt, saying he has traded pharmaceutical stocks on YouTube for years in violation of a lifetime ban from the drug industry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

Emergency Lawyers noted the previous alleged attacks and said they represented not only a violation of Sudan's sovereign territory but demonstrated the government's lack of control over the region.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

“He’s in violation of the dress code. I’m well within my rights, and I don’t take orders from faction lovers,” she says, her eyes on the ink creeping over my collarbone.

From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth

Privacy violations like this have become a routine part of life on the internet.

From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2026

"We will examine whether there were any violations of building codes. We intend to conduct a thorough inquiry and gather all the facts."

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Bank of America will pay $1.2 billion in penalties to settle violations of anti-money laundering and sanction laws.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Treasury Department said late Tuesday it was imposing penalties of more than $1.21 billion against Bank of America for violations of anti-money-laundering laws.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

In fourth period, right before lunch, Principal Trask comes back on the PA to remind us about dress-code violations.

From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée

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Related Words

• abuse
• contravention
• encroachment
• infraction
• infringement
• misdemeanor
• negligence
• offense
• transgression

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