Definition of VIOLATE

violate

Verb

Verb Forms: violated, violating, violates

  • To break or disregard a rule, agreement, or principle.
  • fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns
    • "This sentence violates the rules of syntax"
  • act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises
    • "violate the basic laws or human civilization"
  • destroy
    • "Don't violate my garden"
    • "violate my privacy"
  • violate the sacred character of a place or language
    • "violate the sanctity of the church"
  • force (someone) to have sex against their will
  • destroy and strip of its possession
  • To break or disregard (a rule or convention).
  • To rape.
  • To cite (a person) for a parole violation.

Examples

  • Accessing unauthorized files violates security protocol.
  • Drinking-and-driving violates the law.
  • To violate the rules by challenging a valid word is a common Scrabble faux pas.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English violaten (“to defile, render impure”), from violat(e) (“defiled, desecrated”, also used as the past participle of violaten) + -en, borrowed from Latin violātus, perfect passive participle of violō (“to treat with violence (whether bodily or mental)”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Ultimately from vīs (“strength, power, force, violence”).

Antonyms

conform to, keep, comply, obey

Scrabble Score: 10

violate: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
violate: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
violate: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

violate: valid Words With Friends Word