TOP

Definition of violate verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

violate

verb
 
/ˈvaɪəleɪt/
 
/ˈvaɪəleɪt/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they violate
 
/ˈvaɪəleɪt/
 
/ˈvaɪəleɪt/
he / she / it violates
 
/ˈvaɪəleɪts/
 
/ˈvaɪəleɪts/
past simple violated
 
/ˈvaɪəleɪtɪd/
 
/ˈvaɪəleɪtɪd/
past participle violated
 
/ˈvaɪəleɪtɪd/
 
/ˈvaɪəleɪtɪd/
-ing form violating
 
/ˈvaɪəleɪtɪŋ/
 
/ˈvaɪəleɪtɪŋ/
jump to other results
  1. violate something (formal) to go against or refuse to obey a law, an agreement, etc. synonym flout
    • to violate international law
    Extra Examples
    • They have flagrantly violated the treaty.
    • The directive violates fundamental human rights.
    Topics Discussion and agreementc1, Law and justicec1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • blatantly
    • flagrantly
    • clearly
    See full entry
  2. violate something (formal) to upset or not respect somebody’s peace, privacy, etc.
    • She accused the press photographers of violating her privacy.
    Extra Examples
    • The peace of the island community had been brutally violated.
    • The peace of this island community has been repeatedly violated.
    • Their voices sounded shrill and incongruous, violating the silence.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • blatantly
    • flagrantly
    • clearly
    See full entry
  3. violate something to damage or destroy a holy or special place synonym desecrate
    • to violate a grave
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
    • blatantly
    • flagrantly
    • clearly
    See full entry
  4. violate somebody (literary or old-fashioned) to force somebody to have sex
    • He had drugged her and then violated her.
    synonym rape
  5. Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin violat- ‘treated violently’, from the verb violare.
See violate in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee violate in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
alloy
noun
 
 
From the Topic
Physics and chemistry
C2
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day