violate

1 of 2

verb

vi·​o·​late ˈvī-ə-ˌlāt How to pronounce violate (audio)
violated; violating
Synonyms of violate

transitive verb

1
: break, disregard
violate the law
2
: to do harm to the person or especially the chastity of
specifically : rape sense 1
3
: to fail to show proper respect for : profane
violate a shrine
4
: interrupt, disturb
… violate the peace of a spring evening.—Nancy Larter
violative
vī-ə-ˌlā-tiv How to pronounce violate (audio)
adjective
violator
vī-ə-ˌlā-tər How to pronounce violate (audio)
noun

violate

2 of 2

adjective

vi·​o·​late ˈvī-ə-lət How to pronounce violate (audio)
archaic
: subjected to violation

Synonyms of violate

Relevance

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of violate in a Sentence

Verb He was arrested for violating his parole. The company violated its customers' privacy. She was attacked and violated by an unknown intruder.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The state is asking the court to find that Chiquite Canyon’s operators violated several Hazardous Waste Control Laws, which would open them to civil penalties. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026 The lawsuit argues the change violates the Administrative Procedure Act because it was adopted without explanation and the First Amendment, which protects lawyers' ability to advise people of their legal rights and seek prospective clients. — Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026 Bowles distinguished between the legal standards for criminal prosecution and the university’s responsibility to address conduct that could threaten student safety or violate campus regulations. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026 In a victory for the journalists, Kelly expanded a previous, temporary ruling that the administration had violated the news outlets’ Fifth Amendment right to due process. — ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for violate

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Latin violatus, past participle of violare, from viol- (as in violentus violent)

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of violate was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing violate

Browse Nearby Words

violarite
violate
violater
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Violate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/violate. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

violate

verb
vi·​o·​late
ˈvī-ə-ˌlāt
violated; violating
1
: to fail to keep or observe : break
violate the law
2
: to do harm or damage to
3
: to treat with great disrespect
violate a house of worship
4
: disturb sense 1a
don't violate their privacy
violator
-ˌlāt-ər
noun

Legal Definition

violate

transitive verb
vi·​o·​late ˈvī-ə-ˌlāt How to pronounce violate (audio)
violated; violating
: to go against (as a prohibition or principle) : fail to observe or respect
violate a law
civil rights were violated
violate due process
violation
ˌvī-ə-ˈlā-shən How to pronounce violate (audio)
noun
violative
ˈvī-ə-ˌlā-tiv How to pronounce violate (audio)
adjective
violator
ˈvī-ə-ˌlā-tər How to pronounce violate (audio)
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of reticent

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All