Other forms: violations
A violation is the breaking of a rule or a right. A violation of the rules, human rights violations, in violation of the treaty.
It is formal and belongs to law, treaties and regulations rather than everyday speech, where people say breach or breaking. In American English a traffic violation is a minor offence. The phrase human rights violations is one of the commonest uses of the word in news writing. Note violate, the verb, which also has a serious sense of sexual assault, and which is why the word is handled carefully.
1nounviolationThe breaking of a rule or a right.
“It was a clear violation of the agreement and nothing happened.”
violation is a breaking of rules.
Latin violatio comes from violare, to treat with force, from vis, force — the same root as violent. A violation is an act of force against a rule, which is a stronger image than breach.
Latin
violātiō — injury, profanation
Middle French
violation
English, today
violation
Built from
Middle French violation, from Latin violātiō (“injury, profanation”), from violō (“to treat with violence; to maltreat; to violate, defile, profane”). Morphologically violate + ion.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA