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
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
Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 29 June 2025
The Senate parliamentarian had ruled that these provisions governing current student loan borrowers violated senate reconciliation rules.
—Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
The family of 17-year-old Victor Perez, an autistic teenager who was shot nine times by police officers in Idaho earlier this year, is suing the Pocatello Police Department (PPD) over claims that officers violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
—Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025
Its Senate passage could come as soon as Monday after days of delay due to the parliamentarian, a nonpartisan Senate rules referee, determining that dozens of provisions violated the Byrd Rule.
—Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for violate
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Verb
Earlier in the week, perhaps the most notable setback was a ruling by the Senate parliamentarian that a cap on health care provider taxes, which is projected to save billions of dollars in federal Medicaid spending, violated the Senate’s Byrd Rule.
—Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 29 June 2025
The Senate parliamentarian had ruled that these provisions governing current student loan borrowers violated senate reconciliation rules.
—Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
The family of 17-year-old Victor Perez, an autistic teenager who was shot nine times by police officers in Idaho earlier this year, is suing the Pocatello Police Department (PPD) over claims that officers violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
—Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 June 2025
Its Senate passage could come as soon as Monday after days of delay due to the parliamentarian, a nonpartisan Senate rules referee, determining that dozens of provisions violated the Byrd Rule.
—Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 29 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for violate
Cite this Entry
“Violate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/violate. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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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