Forms: 5 violatt, 6 -at, 5–6 vyolat(e, 6 voyolate, Sc. wiolate, violet; 5– violate. [f. L. violāt-, ppl. stem of violāre to treat with violence, to outrage, dishonor, injure, etc.]
1. trans. To break, infringe or transgress unjustifiably; to fail duly to keep or observe: a. An oath or promise, one’s faith, etc.
1432–50. trans. Higden (Rolls), II. 347. His bloode be schedde in lyke wyse that dothe violate and breke this bonde of luffe.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 187. I haue despoused you to a noble man, se yt you violate not your fayth & spousage.
1558. Knox, First Blast (Arb.), 50. If any man be affraid to violat the oth of obedience, which they haue made to suche monstres.
1596. Edw. III., IV. iii. 27. Ah, but it is mine othe, my gratious Lord, Which I in conscience may not violate.
1624. Capt. Smith, Virginia, III. viii. 76. Your promise I find … euery day violated by some of your subiects.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., I. xiv. 68. A Power set up to constrain those that would otherwise violate their faith.
1769. Robertson, Chas. V., VII. Wks. 1813, III. 53. The indecency of violating a recent and solemn engagement.
1777. R. Watson, Philip II., II. (1839), 25. Being convinced that Henry would never violate the truce of Vaucelles.
1835. Thirlwall, Greece, I. 259. Fearing lest the sight of the fertile land … might tempt the Heracleids to violate their compact with him.
1844. H. H. Wilson, Brit. India, I. 189. These arrangements were scarcely concluded when the Raja manifested a disposition to violate them.
1878. Browning, La Saisiaz, 18. She violates the bond.
b. A law, commandment, rule, etc.
1552. Huloet, Violate a lawe or custome, soluere legem, uel morem.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 195. Thou praisest ye Empresse for instituting good lawes, and grieuest to see them violated by the Ladyes.
1611. Bible, Ezek. xxii. 26. Her priests haue violated my law, and haue prophaned mine holy things.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xxvii. 153. He which does Injury … should suffer punishment without other limitation, than that of his Will whose Law is thereby violated.
1691. Hartcliffe, Virtues, 363. If we live contrary to this, we violate the Law of him that made us.
1726. Swift, Gulliver, II. vii. Power,… liberty, and … dominion. All which, however happily tempered by the laws of that kingdom, have been sometimes violated by each of the three parties.
1774. Burke, Corr. (1844), I. 485. I have not usually made any scruple to violate, in some degree, the strict letter and summum jus of decorum and propriety.
1836. J. Gilbert, Chr. Atonem., vii. (1852), 204. It is of the essence of atonement, that while it protects all rights, it must not violate any.
1841. W. Spalding, Italy & It. Isl., III. 126. The sovereigns … resolved to violate their own late precedents of non-intervention.
1875. Manning, Mission H. Ghost, i. 11. The predestination of God in no way violates or takes away the perfect liberty of the human will.
c. Abstract and moral qualities, etc.
1588. Kyd, Househ. Philos., Wks. (1901), 253. First wold I that the parched earth did riue,… Ere I to lose or violate my chastity beginne.
1671. Milton, Samson A., 893. An impious crew Of men … violating the ends For which our countrey is a name so dear.
1722. Wollaston, Relig. Nat., vi. 137. He that would not violate truth, must avoid all injustice.
a. 1745. Swift, Hen. I., Wks. 1768, IV. 290. He was a strict observer of justice, which he seems never to have violated.
1794. Paley, Evid., III. vii. (1817), 369. Differences of opinion … accompanied with mutual charity, which Christianity forbids them to violate.
1836. J. Gilbert, Chr. Atonem., iii. (1852), 62. Let not the Rationalists be suffered, in the very name of justice, sacred as it is, to violate justice.
1892. Tennyson, Dawn, iii. The press … easily violates virgin Truth for a coin or a cheque.
2. To ravish or outrage (a woman).
c. 1440. Alph. Tales, 57. I hafe violatt & fylid many mens wyvis, & þer chuldre.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, cxiii. 398. He made it to be cryed in euere strete that no man shulde be so hardy on payne of dethe to vyolat any woman, or deflowre any mayd.
1585. T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., I. xv. 16. [To] see his wife and his daughters rauished and violated.
1611. Cotgr., Forcer,… to violate, force, or rauish (as a woman).
1696. Phillips (ed. 5).
1709. Addison, Tatler, No. 117, ¶ 4. She was discovered by Neptune, and violated after a long and unsuccesful Importunity.
1754. Sherlock, Disc. (1759), I. xiii. 344. We gratify our Lust by violating his Wife or Daughter.
1841. Elphinstone, Hist. Ind., II. 509. This young man,… having attempted to violate the wife of a Bramin, was imprisoned.
1879. Fife-Cookson, With Armies of Balkans, 38. It was alledged however that they [sc. the Cossacks] committed separate excesses of their own, violating all the Turkish women they could find.
absol. 1821. Shelley, Hellas, 951. Impale the remnant of the Greeks! despoil! Violate! make their flesh cheaper than dust!
3. To do violence to; to treat irreverently; to desecrate, dishonor, profane or defile.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xxi. 76. I haue not rented, vyolated ne broken, the pyramyde of his faders sepulture.
a. 1500[?]. Chester Pl. (Shaks. Soc.), I. 217. This man … Is not of God,… Which doth voyolate the Saboath daye.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, XI. xi. 127. Quha evir with wond dois hurt or violat Hyr haly body onto me dedicat.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. John xix. 115. A place perdye detestable and violated with dead bodyes.
1579. W. Wilkinson, Confut. Familye of Love, 13. Gods ministery is an holy and sacred thing, in thought not to be violated.
1635. Pagitt, Christianographie, I. iii. (1636), 129. If by chance any Catholicke Priest shall celebrate upon one of their Altars, they violate it and breake it.
1665. Sir T. Herbert, Trav. (1677), 17. They would commonly violate the graves of those dead men we buried.
1673. Lady’s Calling, II. i. § 7. She that listens to any wanton discourse has violated her ears.
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, Italian, xvi. What sacrilegious footsteps thus rudely violate this holy place.
1846. Arnold, Hist. Later Roman Commw., I. vii. 277. Some of the most famous and richest temples … were violated and ransacked.
1849. G. P. R. James, Woodman, ix. It would be searched, and the sanctuary violated.
refl. 1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., III. x. 24. Experience, Manhood, Honor, ne’re before, Did violate so it selfe.
b. To destroy (a person’s chastity) by force.
1592. Arden of Feversham, 38. That iniurious riball, that attempts To vyolate my deare wyues chastitie.
1610. Shaks., Temp., I. ii. 347. Thou didst seeke to violate The honor of my childe.
1769. Blackstone, Comm., IV. 213. The civil law … not allowing any punishment for violating the chastity of her, who hath indeed no chastity at all.
c. To interfere with by appropriation.
1823. Lamb, Elia, II. Poor Relations. A particular elbow-chair was appropriated to him, which was in no case to be violated.
1840. Dickens, Old C. Shop, xxv. No boy attempted to violate the sanctity of seat or peg.
† 4. To vitiate, corrupt or spoil, esp. in respect of physical qualities. Obs.
1555. Eden, Decades (Arb.), 98. If wee … consyder the largenes and wydenes of … the mouthes of the famous ryuer of Ister … and howe farre they violate or corrupte the salte water with their freshenes.
1598. Yong, Diana, 61. But this mischieuous absence doth violate and dissolue those things, which men thinke to be most strong and firme.
1620. Venner, Via Recta, vii. 131. They breede phlegme, violate the lungs, and soone offend the stomack … by their windie and cloying substance.
1656. Stanley, Hist. Philos., IV. iii. (1687), 141/2. He said, that Coals, when they forsake the nature of Wood, acquire a solidity not to be violated by moisture.
† b. To damage or injure by violence. Obs.
1595. Daniel, Civ. Wars, I. lxxxiii. Like to a River that is stopt his Course Doth violate his Banks.
1606. G. W[oodcocke], Hist. Ivstine, XLIV. 136. For first it lieth not within the raging heate of the Sunne, as Affricke doth; neither is it violated with outragious windes like France.
1634. T. Johnson, Parey’s Chirurg., XV. xiv. (1678), 335. If the fracture violate … the spinal marrow contained therein, then the Patient can scarce scape death.
1658. Evelyn, Fr. Gard. (1675), 208. Couch it down without violating any of the leaves.
1675. J. Rose, Eng. Vineyard Vind., 41. Fear not your vessel if well made; since the force of the working … will not violate it as some imagine.
† c. To despoil of something. Obs.–1
1646. G. Daniel, Poems, Wks. (Grosart), II. 57. When the bleake Face of winter spreads The Earth, and violates the Meads Of all their Pride.
† 5. To treat (a person) roughly or with violence; to assail or abuse. Obs.
a. 1628. Preston, Breastpl. Love (1631), 88. If a man should come and violate thee with ill termes thou wouldest be angry with him.
1629. Chas. I., Declarations, Wks. 1662, II. 27. Precedents of former times were disobeyed, the Speaker violated [etc.].
1635. R. N., trans. Camden’s Hist. Eliz., III. 239. The Act was made against those which should violate the king by seditious writings.
6. To break in upon; to interrupt or disturb; to interfere with rudely or roughly.
1667. Milton, P. L., IV. 883. To question thy bold entrance on this place; Imploi’d it seems to violate sleep.
1697. Dryden, Æneid, XII. 474. O Trojans! cease From impious arms, nor violate the peace.
1722. Wollaston, Relig. Nat., vi. (1724), 132. Since he, who begins to violate the happiness of another, does what is wrong.
1775. Johnson, Tax. no Tyr., 31. Legislation passes its limits when it violates the purse.
1796. W. Combe, Boydell’s Thames, II. 3. [Pope’s] garden has not yet been violated. It retains its early form.
1809. W. Irving, Knickerb., III. vi. (1849), 175. The dark forests which once clothed those shores had been violated by the savage hand of cultivation.
1819. Shelley, Cenci, V. i. 13. To violate the sacred doors of sleep.
7. To treat without proper respect or regard; to do violence or injury to (feelings, etc.) in this way.
1692. Dryden, St. Euremont’s Ess., 81. Never were they more careful of hindring the Majesty of the Roman People from being violated.
1705. Addison, Italy, Monaco, 15. They have never entertain’d a Thought of violating the Publick Credit.
1713. Berkeley, in Guard., No. 3, ¶ 1. A Body of Men, whom of all other a good Man would be most careful not to violate, I mean Men in Holy Orders.
1729. Butler, Serm., Wks. 1874, II. 24. Man may act … in a way disproportionate to, and violate his real proper nature.
1798. Bloomfield, Farmer’s Boy, Summer, 336. Ere tyrant customs strength sufficient bore To violate the feelings of the poor.
1817. Shelley, Rev. Islam, VIII. xxvii. Do ye thirst to bear A heart which not the serpent Custom’s tooth May violate?
1822. Lamb, Elia, I. Compl. Decay Beggars. Do we feel the imagination at all violated when we read the ‘true ballad,’ where King Cophetua woos the beggar maid?
Hence Violating vbl. sb.
1548. Cooper, Elyot’s Dict., Violatio,… a violatyng, a breakyng.
1581. Nowell & Day, in Confer., I. (1584), C ij. Master Campion did vs wrong, to charge vs with violating of the Majestie of the holy Bible.
1585. T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., II. xiii. 48 b. The violating and deflouring of … his daughters, & other Ladies.
1611. Cotgr., Violation, a violation, or violating.
1671. Phillips (ed. 3), s.v. Sacrilegious, A robbing of Churches, or violating of holy things.
1765–8. Erskine, Inst. Law Scot., IV. iv. § 52. The violating of a bride, or espoused virgin.
1769. in Boston Gaz., 8 Jan. (1770), 3/1. Since the Tories are so set upon ruining this continent, as not even to scruple the violating their own plighted faith.
