Violate (Verb)
Meaning 1
Destroy; "Don't violate my garden"; "violate my privacy".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- Please don't plow through my yard or it will violate the peaceful landscape I work to maintain.
- Her private journal was filled with secrets she never wanted anyone to see, fearing it would violate her trust.
- Scientists are worried the test will violate the natural habitat of several endangered species.
- The loud construction beside the nature reserve began to violate the serene environment of the wildlife sanctuary.
- New developers were threatening to buy the land and violate the long-standing beauty of the scenic village.
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
Violate the sacred character of a place or language; "desecrate a cemetery"; "violate the sanctity of the church"; "profane the name of God".
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- Tourists were arrested for taking selfies inside the tomb, an act that was considered to violate the sanctity of the ancient burial site.
- The new policy was seen as an attempt to profane the name of the beloved national hero by linking it to corporate interests.
- By littering on the grounds, the festival-goers did not realize they would desecrate the cemetery where their own ancestors lay.
- The graffiti artist's latest work in the historic chapel sparked outrage for its potential to violate the sacred space.
- An appeal was made to locals to refrain from violating the sanctity of the mosque with loud and unruly behavior during the upcoming celebrations.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 3
Act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises; "offend all laws of humanity"; "violate the basic laws or human civilization"; "break a law"; "break a promise".
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- Her actions would violate the terms of her employment contract if she disclosed confidential information.
- The company was accused of trying to violate antitrust laws by acquiring a major competitor.
- He refused to sign the agreement, knowing that doing so would violate his moral principles.
- Their reckless behavior violates all safety regulations in the industry.
- Signing the deal would violate the promises they made to their original investors.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Related Words
Meaning 4
Force (someone) to have sex against their will; "The woman was raped on her way home at night".
Classification
Verbs of political and social activities and events.
Examples
- The perpetrator was found guilty of attempting to violate the victim in the abandoned alley.
- The woman alleged that her attacker had tried to violate her, but she managed to escape.
- He was arrested for violating an unconscious woman he found on the street.
- The victim claimed that the suspect had threatened to harm her if she did not comply with his demand to violate her.
- The man was accused of violently violating a teenager in a secluded area.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Related Words
Meaning 5
Fail to agree with; be in violation of; as of rules or patterns; "This sentence violates the rules of syntax".
Classification
Verbs of being, having, spatial relations.
Examples
- The restrictive policy violates the fundamental rights of the employees.
- Her behavior in the meeting really violates the company's code of conduct.
- That remark violates the norms of polite conversation.
- This usage of the word violates the traditional definition found in most dictionaries.
- The event's outcome violates the expected pattern and sparks further investigation.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Hyponyms
Related Words
Meaning 6
Destroy and strip of its possession; "The soldiers raped the beautiful country".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- The conquerors violate the once peaceful land, leaving destruction and despair in their wake.
- The war-torn region was left to pick up the pieces after invaders came and violate its tranquil atmosphere.
- Enemy forces brutally violate the city, stripping it of its beauty and prosperity.
- The natural disaster seemed to violate the very foundation of the town, causing widespread devastation.
- Ruthless colonizers came to the New World and violate the Native American tribes' ancestral lands.