violate

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈvaɪəˌleɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #12011

Meanings

1

verb
To break a law, rule, agreement, or promise.

The company violated several safety regulations.
2

verb
To disturb or fail to respect someone's rights or privacy.

Reading her diary violated her privacy.
3

verb
To force someone to have sex against their will; to rape.

The man was convicted of violating a young woman.
4

verb
To treat a sacred or respected place without respect.

The vandals violated the ancient temple.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 verb · to force someone to have... abuse defile dishonour force outrage rape

Word family

Forms violatedviolatesviolating

Derived forms unviolateviolativeviolatory

Related forms inviolate violable violation

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”).

*weyh₁- Proto-Indo-European violaten Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# violate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈvaɪəˌleɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 12011

## Meanings
1. To break a law, rule, agreement, or promise.
2. To disturb or fail to respect someone's rights or privacy.
3. To force someone to have sex against their will; to rape.
4. To treat a sacred or respected place without respect.

## Examples
- The company violated several safety regulations.
- Reading her diary violated her privacy.
- The man was convicted of violating a young woman.
- The vandals violated the ancient temple.

## Derived Forms
- unviolate
- violative
- violatory

## Related Forms
- inviolate
- violable
- violation

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *weyh₁-
- Root: violaten

## 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”).

## AI Etymology
Violate is 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”). Important historical forms include Proto-Indo-European *weyh₁-, and Middle English violaten. In present-day use, it can mean to break a law, rule, agreement, or promise, or to disturb or fail to respect someone's rights or privacy.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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