English Meaning & Definitions
To violate, infringe, or breach a law, rule, or agreement.
- “The company was fined for practices that contravene environmental regulations.”
- “The new policy seems to contravene the fundamental rights of the employees.”
To conflict with, oppose, or contradict a statement or belief.
- “His testimony tends to contravene the evidence presented by the prosecution.”
- “The report's conclusions contravene the general consensus of the scientific community.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “contravene”.
Derived from the Latin 'contra-' (against) + 'venire' (to come). Literally meaning 'to come against' or clash with, it entered English in the 16th century via French to denote acting in violation of a rule, law, or custom.
Think of 'contra' (against) + 'convention' (rule/custom). To contravene is to go against convention or law.
Frequently Asked Questions About “contravene”
1. What is the meaning of “contravene” in English?
In English, contravene (verb) is defined as: “To violate, infringe, or breach a law, rule, or agreement.”.
2. How do you use “contravene” in a sentence?
“The company was fined for practices that contravene environmental regulations.”
3. What are English synonyms of “contravene”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “contravene”?
Derived from the Latin 'contra-' (against) + 'venire' (to come). Literally meaning 'to come against' or clash with, it entered English in the 16th century via French to denote acting in violation of a rule, law, or custom.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.