Word
violated
Phoneticsvi·o·lat·ed, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈvaɪəɫeɪtɪd/
UK/vˈaɪəleɪtɪd/
Definitions
01to break a rule
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.
“The company violated the safety rules and had to pay a large fine.”
“The international tribunal concluded that the state had violated several articles of the treaty regarding the treatment of prisoners of war.”
02to treat without respect
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to treat a private place or a person's body in a way that is disrespectful or harmful.
v. to disturb or disregard the sanctity of a private space or the physical autonomy of a person. Often used in contexts of sexual assault or the desecration of graves.
“She felt violated when she found out someone had looked through her private diary.”
“The community was outraged to find that vandals had violated the ancient burial ground during the night.”
03broken or ignored
B2 · Upper Intermediate Formal
adj. describing a rule or right that has been ignored or broken.
adj. referring to a law, principle, or boundary that has been disregarded or breached. Typically used as a predicative adjective.
“The protesters argued that their basic human rights were being violated.”
“The report highlighted several instances where the ceasefire agreement was clearly violated by both parties involved in the conflict.”
Real-World Examples
“The two experts who remained, Alaskan lawyer Dalee Sambo Dorough and University of Copenhagen law professor Miriam Cullen, found in their report that the rights of Inuit women in Greenland had been violated.” “When the bill passed in July, Mamdani argued that the law directly violated a state law called the Taylor Law, a nearly 60-year-old law that gives public sector workers the right to organise.” - 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.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL 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: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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