Word
violate
Phoneticsvi·o·late, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈvaɪəɫeɪt/
UK/vˈaɪəleɪt/
Definitions
01to break a rule or law
B2 · Upper Intermediate Law Formal
v. to break a law, an agreement, or a formal rule.
v. to fail to comply with a law, treaty, or regulation. Transitive — requires a direct object representing the rule being broken.
日本語:違反する※
“The company had to pay a fine because they violated safety rules.”
“The international tribunal determined that the state had violated several articles of the Geneva Convention during the border dispute.”
Usage
Commonly used with objects like 'law', 'treaty', 'rights', or 'policy'.
02to disturb or disrespect
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to treat a person, a place, or someone's privacy without respect.
v. to treat a person, sacred place, or private space with irreverence or without consent.
日本語:侵害する※
“The loud music violated the peaceful atmosphere of the park.”
“The protesters felt that the new surveillance cameras violated their right to privacy in public spaces.”
Teaching tip
In modern contexts, this is often used regarding 'privacy' or 'personal space'.
03sexual assault
C2 · Proficiency Formal · Literary
v. to attack someone sexually.
v. to commit an act of sexual assault or rape against a person. Highly formal or literary in this specific usage.
日本語:犯す※
Español:violar
“The victim spoke out about how she had been violated.”
“The historical novel depicts the harsh realities of war, including how civilians were often violated by invading forces.”
Teaching tip
This is a very serious and sensitive term; in modern legal English, 'sexual assault' is more common.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “violate” in context.
Verb
01. violate assumption
“The experimental results violate the basic assumption that the two variables are independent.”
verb + noun
Real-World Examples
“Those states and 25 others also accuse Meta of violating federal law by improperly collecting and using personal data of children while they used its platforms.” “A court rules that a hold on all wind projects clearly violates the law.” Etymology
From Middle English violaten (“to defile, render impure”), from violat(e) (“defiled, desecrated”, also used as the past participle of violaten) + -en, borrowed from Latin violātus, perfect passive participle of violō (“to treat with violence (whether bodily or mental)”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Ultimately from vīs (“strength, power, force, violence”).
From Middle English violat, from Classical Latin violātus.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/violate
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0