vi·o·late
ˈvī-ə-ˌlāt 
violated; violating
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
Synonyms
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
East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024
All 22 reports mentioned a Waymo car that either was the only one operating during a collision or was driving in such a way as to potentially violate traffic laws.
—Meredith G. White, The Arizona Republic, 25 Oct. 2024
Users found to be violating our Terms and Conditions face various actions, including a potential permanent ban.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
The jury, in Delaware, agreed with Apple that Masimo’s W1 and Freedom watches and chargers willfully violated Apple’s patent rights in smartwatch designs, awarding the tech giant $250 in damages.
—Reuters, CNN, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for violate 
Verb
Media and transparency Lee says she was fired after refusing to violate California’s open records law.
—East Bay Times Editorial, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024
All 22 reports mentioned a Waymo car that either was the only one operating during a collision or was driving in such a way as to potentially violate traffic laws.
—Meredith G. White, The Arizona Republic, 25 Oct. 2024
Users found to be violating our Terms and Conditions face various actions, including a potential permanent ban.
—Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
The jury, in Delaware, agreed with Apple that Masimo’s W1 and Freedom watches and chargers willfully violated Apple’s patent rights in smartwatch designs, awarding the tech giant $250 in damages.
—Reuters, CNN, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for violate
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'violate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near violate
Cite this Entry
“Violate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/violate. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
violate
transitive verb
vi·o·late
ˈvī-ə-ˌlāt
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
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