What does violation mean?
A violation is an act that breaks a law, rule, agreement, right, or other recognized boundary. The word is especially common in legal and regulatory language, as in a violation of safety rules or privacy law, but it also applies to infringements of personal rights, dignity, consent, and bodily autonomy. Its severity can vary with context: a minor traffic violation is an everyday breach of a regulation, whereas a human-rights violation or sexual violation carries a strongly condemnatory sense. The related verb is violate, and a person who violates something is a violator. Although violation can sometimes be used broadly for the breaking of any rule, it usually suggests a breach of something considered authoritative, binding, or deserving of protection. The term is consequently often associated with formal consequences, public condemnation, or violations of established boundaries.
nounAn act of breaking a law, rule, agreement, right, or other binding requirement. It may also refer more generally to a serious violation of someone's privacy, dignity, or personal boundaries.
- An act of breaking a law, regulation, or official rule.
- An infringement of a right, privacy, dignity, or personal boundary.
- A breach of an agreement, condition, principle, or other binding requirement.
- An act of sexual assault or the forceful violation of another person's bodily autonomy.
"The company denied that its handling of customer data constituted a violation of privacy law."
"Investigators recorded the incident as a serious violation of workplace safety rules."
"Publishing the private message was widely regarded as a violation of her consent and dignity."
The regular plural of violation is violations, used for multiple breaches or instances of breaking a rule or right.
"The report documented several serious violations of the agreement."
Violation comes from a forceful Latin past: violāre originally meant to use force against a person, right, or sacred boundary.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does violation come from?
Violation derives from Latin violāre, meaning to violate, injure, or use force against, and developed in English with the sense of breaking a law, right, or sacred obligation. Its history is reflected in cognates such as French violation and Spanish violación. English forms including violate, violator, and violation developed from this shared Latin root.
How violation is actually used
The word is formal and commonly occurs in legal, regulatory, institutional, and news contexts. It is more serious than a minor breach and may imply deliberate disregard for a law or an established right.
Easily confused with violation
A violation is a breach of a law, rule, right, or boundary, whereas violence refers specifically to physical force intended to hurt, damage, or intimidate.