violate

verb

destroy and strip of its possession

force (someone) to have sex against their will

violate the sacred character of a place or language

destroy

act in disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises

fail to agree with

Roots

violoviol- · Latin · treat with force

Synonyms for violate

infractv transgressv breachn infringev desecratev offendv contravenev floutv breakv profaneadj disobeyv despoilv ravishv trespassn rapen

Synonyms & related words for violate

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of violate — including infract, transgress, breach, infringe, desecrate, offend. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to violate

Explore words related to violate — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include inviolated, violable, constuprate, violably, violation, infractor, violater, violative. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for violate

Common synonyms for violate include infract, transgress, breach, infringe, desecrate, offend, contravene, flout — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does violate come from?

The word violate breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root viol-, from Latin violo (“treat with force”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.