vi·o·late
ˈvī-ə-ˌlāt 
violated; violating
2
: to do harm to the person or especially the chastity of
specifically
: rape sense 1
3
: to fail to show proper respect for : profane
violate a shrine
Synonyms
Examples of violate in a Sentence
Verb
He was arrested for violating his parole.
The company violated its customers' privacy.
She was attacked and violated by an unknown intruder.
Recent Examples on the Web
Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 15 Nov. 2024
The lawsuit claims that Chipotle’s failure to disclose these issues and their financial implications misled shareholders, potentially violating securities laws.
—Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 12 Nov. 2024
The organising committee investigated and found that Jiang had violated competition rules in the preliminary round because she was helped by her teacher, Wang Runqiu, who was a contestant himself.
—Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week Uk, theweek, 11 Nov. 2024
The board ultimately ruled that Schenke had violated Indiana election laws about disclaimers on political ads, and referred the matter to the Indiana Election Division for discipline or sanctions.
—Noe Padilla, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for violate 
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Verb
James Nagle, a former Army contracting official and practicing attorney who specializes in the federal contracting process, went even further, saying that the White House Offer potentially violated existing law.
—Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 15 Nov. 2024
The lawsuit claims that Chipotle’s failure to disclose these issues and their financial implications misled shareholders, potentially violating securities laws.
—Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 12 Nov. 2024
The organising committee investigated and found that Jiang had violated competition rules in the preliminary round because she was helped by her teacher, Wang Runqiu, who was a contestant himself.
—Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week Uk, theweek, 11 Nov. 2024
The board ultimately ruled that Schenke had violated Indiana election laws about disclaimers on political ads, and referred the matter to the Indiana Election Division for discipline or sanctions.
—Noe Padilla, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for violate
Dictionary Entries Near violate
Cite this Entry
“Violate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/violate. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
violate
transitive verb
vi·o·late
ˈvī-ə-ˌlāt
violated; violating
: to go against (as a prohibition or principle) : fail to observe or respect
violate a law
civil rights were violated
violate due process
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