violation

noun

vi·​o·​la·​tion ˌvī-ə-ˈlā-shən 

: the act of violating : the state of being violated: such as

a

: infringement, transgression

specifically : an infringement of the rules in sports that is less serious than a foul and usually involves technicalities of play

b

: an act of irreverence or desecration : profanation

c

: disturbance, interruption

d

: rape entry 1 sense 1, ravishment

Synonyms

• breach
• crime
• debt
• error
• lawbreaking
• malefaction
• misdeed
• misdoing
• offense
• offence
• sin
• transgression
• trespass
• wrongdoing

Examples of violation in a Sentence

a serious violation of the law

A second violation was called on the basketball player.

He was arrested for violation of his parole.

The group monitors human rights violations.

trying to prevent violation of human rights

Recent Examples on the Web

Particularly the no pitch intentional pass and pitch clock violation anomalies. —Jayson Stark, The Athletic, 27 Dec. 2024

Accountability mechanisms would have to be built in to ensure violations come at a cost. —Samuel Charap, Foreign Affairs, 24 Dec. 2024

New York doesn't have the death penalty, but the federal government has jurisdiction to seek the punishment with federal interest and alleged violations of federal statutes, the Death Penalty Information Center said in January. —Mike Allen, Axios, 23 Dec. 2024

The filing also addresses the company's compliance with government laws and regulations, stating there were no material violations or significant expenditures related to compliance in fiscal year 2024. —Quartz Bot, Quartz, 23 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing violation

• in violation of
• moving violation

Kids Definition

violation

noun

vi·​o·​la·​tion ˌvī-ə-ˈlā-shən 

: an act or an instance of violating : the state of being violated