Violation — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˌvī-ə-ˈlā-shən/ vi·o·la·tion

Meaning & Definition of Violation

Violation (noun)

  1. the act of violating, the state of being violated
  2. infringement, transgression; specifically, an infringement of the rules in sports that is less serious than a foul and usually involves technicalities of play
  3. an act of irreverence or desecration, profanation

Violation (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a breaking of a moral or legal code

    "in colonial times blasphemy was considered a serious civil violation that merited harsh punishment"

    similar: breach, crime, debt, error, lawbreaking, malefaction, misdeed, misdoing, offense, sin, transgression, trespass, wrongdoing
    related: bias crime, hate crime, felony, misconduct, misdemeanor, misfeasance, fault, foible, peccadillo, break, infringement, immorality, iniquitousness, iniquity, sinfulness, vice, wickedness, corruption, debauchery, depravity, licentiousness, abuse, criminality, illegality, lawlessness, unlawfulness, descent, downfall, fall
    opposite: noncrime
    near: blamelessness, faultlessness, guiltlessness, impeccability, innocence, irreproachability, goodness, morality, righteousness, virtue, virtuousness

  2. a failure to uphold the requirements of law, duty, or obligation

    "a military action that must be regarded as a violation of the treaty"

    similar: breach, contravention, infraction, infringement, transgression, trespass
    related: misconduct, misdemeanor, misfeasance, misprision, offense, sin, wrong, disregard, forgetting, ignoring, nonobservance, overlooking, delinquency, dereliction, neglect, encroachment, intrusion, invasion
    opposite: noninfringement, observance
    near: respecting, upholding

  3. the act of forcing a person to engage in sexual activity and especially intercourse

    "war crimes include the violation of civilians"

    similar: assault, rape, ravishment, sexual assault

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Violation

The most common words with a similar meaning to Violation:

breach, crime, debt, error, lawbreaking, malefaction, misdeed, misdoing, offense, sin, transgression, trespass, wrongdoing, contravention, infraction, infringement, assault, rape, ravishment, sexual assault

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Violation

Words with the opposite meaning of Violation:

noncrime, noninfringement, observance

Related Words for Violation

bias crime, hate crime, felony, misconduct, misdemeanor, misfeasance, fault, foible, peccadillo, break, immorality, iniquitousness, iniquity, sinfulness, vice, wickedness, corruption, debauchery, depravity, licentiousness, abuse, criminality, illegality, lawlessness, unlawfulness, descent, downfall, fall, misprision, wrong

Near Antonyms of Violation

blamelessness, faultlessness, guiltlessness, impeccability, innocence, irreproachability, goodness, morality, righteousness, virtue, virtuousness, respecting, upholding

Origin & Etymology of Violation

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Violation

Words & Phrases Containing Violation

in violation of, moving violation

Frequently Asked Questions about Violation

What does "Violation" mean?

"Violation" means the act of violating, the state of being violated. As a noun, it is defined as: the act of violating, the state of being violated. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Violation"?

Other words for "Violation" include breach, crime, debt, error, lawbreaking, malefaction, misdeed and misdoing. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Violation" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Violation"?

There are 61 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Violation". Common alternatives include breach, crime, debt, error, lawbreaking, malefaction, misdeed, misdoing, offense and sin.

What is the opposite of "Violation"?

Antonyms of "Violation" include noncrime, noninfringement and observance. Near antonyms include blamelessness, faultlessness, guiltlessness and impeccability.

How do you use "Violation" in a sentence?

Examples of "Violation" in a sentence: "in colonial times blasphemy was considered a serious civil violation that merited harsh punishment"; "a military action that must be regarded as a violation of the treaty"; "war crimes include the violation of civilians".

Is "Violation" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Violation" is a noun.

Is "Violation" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Violation" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Violation"?

"Violation" is pronounced /ˌvī-ə-ˈlā-shən/ and divided into syllables as vi·o·la·tion.