Synonyms for contravene
Most common
breach violate infringe transgress oppose contradict negate nullify
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Violate — to act contrary to an order; to fail to conform to a regulation or obligation
violate, infringe, breach, transgress, go against, break, offend, infract
2. Contradict — to deny the truth of something
contradict, oppose, thwart, gainsay formal, dispute, resist, counteract, cross, defeat, baffle, disconcert, controvert, impugn, frustrate, balk US, baulk UK, oppugn rare
Other
Definitions
- v. 1
To act contrary to an order; to fail to conform to a regulation or obligation.
- v. 2
To deny the truth of something.
Related words
- Word family
- contravention
Forms
- Past participle
- contravened
e.g. contravened → violated, infringed, breached, transgressed…
Example sentences
- breach Did the hackers breach the cybersecurity defenses?
- violate These factories violate multiple health regulations.
- infringe They infringe on our basic freedoms.
- transgress You think you can transgress the law?
- oppose Were I in your position, I would oppose that plan.
- contradict Let our action never contradict what we have said.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| contravene | steady | |
| breach | steady | |
| violate | steady | |
| infringe | steady | |
| transgress | rising | |
| oppose | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- balk1
- 5 letters
- break1, cross1, baulk
- 6 letters
- defeat2, resist2, breach1, oppose2, offend2, thwart1, negate2, baffle2, impugn2, oppugn
- 7 letters
- dispute2, violate3, nullify3, gainsay2, infract
- 8 letters
- conflict2, infringe2
- 9 letters
- frustrate2
- 10 letters
- contradict3, counteract3, transgress2, disconcert3, controvert
- 11 letters
- countervail3, countervene
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (defeat2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- contrevenir
- Italiano
- contravvenire
- Español
- contravenir
- Deutsch
- entgegenwirken