Violated

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈvaɪəˌleɪtɪd/

Definitions

1. Failed to obey or respect a rule, law, or agreement ; showed disrespect or mistreatment toward a person or principle ; entered or disturbed a space or right considered private or sacred
2. Acted against an established law or rule ; treated someone or something with contempt or injustice ; crossed boundaries protecting privacy or holiness
3. Broke terms or regulations set by authority ; insulted or harmed the dignity of someone or something ; invaded a personal or protected domain without permission

Etymology: "Violated" is the past tense of "violate," and its roots lie in a Latin word for force. The Latin "vis" meant strength, power, or force, and from it came "violare," to treat with violence, whether bodily or mental. Its past participle, "violatus," passed into Middle English as "violat," a word meaning defiled or desecrated, and the English verb "violaten," to defile or render impure, was built on that form. The notion of harm to something sacred or protected sits at the heart of the word. Breaking a law, a vow, or a sanctuary was understood as doing violence to the thing that deserved respect, and the modern senses of breaking a rule, insulting someone's dignity, or intruding on private space all grow from that original idea of forceful damage.

Synonyms: broken, infringed, transgressed, breached, defied

Antonyms: observed, complied, followed, upheld, adhered