vi ‧ o ‧ late AC /ˈvaɪəleɪt/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ violence ≠ ↑ non-violence , ↑ violator , ↑ violation ; verb : ↑ violate ; adverb : ↑ violently ; adjective : ↑ violent ≠ ↑ non-violent ]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: past participle of violare ]
1 . to disobey or do something against an official agreement, law, principle etc:
34 protesters were arrested for violating criminal law.
regimes that violate human rights
2 . to do something that makes someone feel that they have been attacked or have suffered a great loss of respect:
Victims of burglaries often feel personally violated.
The media regularly violates people’s privacy.
3 . formal to break open a ↑ grave , or force your way into a holy place without showing any respect:
Vandals had violated the graveyard.
4 . literary to force a woman to have sex SYN rape
—violator noun [countable]
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THESAURUS
▪ disobey to not obey a person, order, rule, or law:
In the army, it is a crime to disobey a superior officer.
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He had disobeyed the school rules.
▪ break a law/rule to not obey a law or rule:
Anyone who breaks the law must expect to be punished.
▪ defy formal to deliberately refuse to obey a rule or law, or what someone in authority tells you to do:
The police arrested the youth for defying a court order.
▪ flout /flaʊt/ formal to deliberately disobey a rule or law in a very public way:
Timber companies are continuing to flout environmental laws.
▪ violate formal to disobey a law, or do something that is against an agreement or principle:
Both countries have accused each other of violating the treaty.
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Technically he had violated the law.
▪ contravene formal to be against a law, rule, or agreement, or to do something that is against a law, rule, or agreement:
The British government’s actions contravened the European Convention on Human Rights.