contravene

verb

con·​tra·​vene ˌkän-trə-ˈvēn 

contravened; contravening

transitive verb

1

: to go or act contrary to : violate

contravene a law

2

: to oppose in argument : contradict

contravene a proposition

contravener noun

Did you know?

Contravene is most often used in reference to laws. So a government may take a company to court claiming that its policies are in contravention of national labor laws. The contravention of copyright laws is a big topic today especially where electronic information is involved. And a country might be punished if a trade organization finds that it's contravening international trade agreements.

Synonyms

• breach
• break
• fracture
• infringe (on or upon)
• offend
• traduce
• transgress
• violate

Choose the Right Synonym for contravene

deny, gainsay, contradict, contravene mean to refuse to accept as true or valid.

deny implies a firm refusal to accept as true, to grant or concede, or to acknowledge the existence or claims of.

denied the charges

gainsay implies disputing the truth of what another has said.

no one can gainsay her claims

contradict implies an open or flat denial.

her account contradicts his

contravene implies not so much an intentional opposition as some inherent incompatibility.

laws that contravene tradition

Examples of contravene in a Sentence

The overcrowded dance club contravened safety regulations.

the unauthorized reproduction of the image contravenes copyright laws

Recent Examples on the Web

Despite Guterres reiterating that Russia's invasion contravenes the UN Charter, Ukraine's leadership remains firm in opposing any engagement that legitimizes Russia's actions. —Katya Soldak, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024

Audi Side-view cameras cut drag slightly, but contravene the federal motor vehicle safety standards. —Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 31 July 2024

Critics claimed this post in itself contravened X’s rules regarding disinformation. —Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 30 July 2024

Cannon has made a series of rulings that some outside observers have said contravened the law in Trump-favorable ways. —Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 15 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French contrevenir, from Late Latin contravenire, from Latin contra- + venire to come — more at come

First Known Use

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1