# violated

/ˈvaɪəɫeɪtɪd/ (US) · /vˈaɪəleɪtɪd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/violated
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to break a rule

verb · CEFR B2 · Formal

to break a law, an agreement, or a formal rule.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. to treat without respect

verb · CEFR B2

to treat a private place or a person's body in a way that is disrespectful or harmful.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. broken or ignored

adjective · CEFR B2 · Formal

describing a rule or right that has been ignored or broken.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The company violated the safety rules and had to pay a fine.
- The construction crew violated the noise ordinance by starting their heavy machinery before six in the morning.
- Legal experts argued that the new surveillance policy violated the fundamental right to privacy guaranteed by the constitution.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.