- 1violate something (formal) to go against or refuse to obey a law, an agreement, etc. synonym flout to violate international law
- 2violate something (formal) to disturb or not respect someone's peace, privacy, etc. She accused the press photographers of violating her privacy.
- 3violate something to damage or destroy a holy or special place synonym desecrate to violate a grave
- 4violate somebody (literary or old-fashioned) to force someone to have sex synonym rape
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NAmE//ˈvaɪəˌleɪt//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they violate he / she / it violates
past simple violated
-ing form violating
NAmE//ˌvaɪəˈleɪʃn//
noun [uncountable, countable] They were in open violation of the treaty. gross violations of human rights NAmE//ˈvaɪəˌleɪt̮ər//
nounSee violate in the Oxford Advanced Learner's DictionaryCheck pronunciation: violate