English Meaning & Definitions
To break or fail to comply with a rule, law, agreement, or promise.
- “The company was fined for trying to violate environmental regulations.”
- “Drivers who violate the speed limit put everyone on the road at risk.”
To fail to respect someone's peace, privacy, or rights.
- “The constant noise from the construction site violated the peace of the neighborhood.”
- “Journalists should not violate the privacy of grieving families.”
To commit an act of sexual assault or rape.
- “The survivor bravely spoke out about the person who had violated her.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “violate”.
Derived from the Latin 'violatus', past participle of 'violare' (to treat with violence, injure, dishonor), from 'vis' (force, strength). Related to violence.
Think of 'violent': when someone is violent, they tend to violate rules or boundaries.
Frequently Asked Questions About “violate”
1. What is the meaning of “violate” in English?
In English, violate (verb) is defined as: “To break or fail to comply with a rule, law, agreement, or promise.”.
2. How do you use “violate” in a sentence?
“The company was fined for trying to violate environmental regulations.”
3. What are English synonyms of “violate”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “violate”?
Derived from the Latin 'violatus', past participle of 'violare' (to treat with violence, injure, dishonor), from 'vis' (force, strength). Related to violence.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →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.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.