contravene
Americanverb (used with object)
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contravenes,
present (3rd person singular)
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contravened,
past participle, past
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contravening
present participle
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to come or be in conflict with; go or act against; deny or oppose.
to contravene a statement.
-
to violate, infringe, or transgress.
to contravene the law.
verb
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to come into conflict with or infringe (rules, laws, etc)
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to dispute or contradict (a statement, proposition, etc)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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contravenesimple
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contravenessimple
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have contravenedperfect
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has contravenedperfect
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am contraveningprogressive
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are contraveningprogressive
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is contraveningprogressive
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have been contraveningperfect progressive
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has been contraveningperfect progressive
Past
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contravenedsimple
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had contravenedperfect
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was contraveningprogressive
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were contraveningprogressive
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had been contraveningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of contravene
1560–70; < Late Latin contrāvenīre, equivalent to Latin contrā against + venīre to come
Explanation
To contravene means to go against or defy. You might contravene your parents' ban on sweets when your friend offers to share her candy because chocolate tastes too good to resist! If you contravene something in practice, you act in direct violation of a particular law or rule. Think about the times when someone has told you not to cross a line and you do anyway. You can also contravene in words though, which means you contradict or argue against a statement. Let's say you're debating gun control. If your opponent says that for the safety of all, it should be legal to carry a concealed weapon wherever you go, you might answer that the more concealed weapons there are, the more violence. You are contravening your opponent's argument.
Vocabulary lists containing contravene
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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Yet, Ms. Gordon-Reed notes, Jefferson’s “actions and words in other contexts . . . contravene almost everything he has to say in the ‘Notes.’”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
While strictly speaking the events seem to contravene restrictions imposed on mass gatherings, they have been tolerated by the authorities.
From Barron's ● Mar. 10, 2026
That leads into Colorado’s second justification—that conversion therapy does indeed contravene the standard of care by subjecting minors to “discredited” quackery far more likely to harm than help.
From Slate ● Oct. 7, 2025
Its latest decisions "contravene those duties" and raise "serious questions about Ofcom's oversight over its own regulations", the channel added.
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2024
It was Euripides who caused the fight, and Aristophanes has beaten him; if, however, Balaustion can adduce anything to contravene this, let her say on.”
From The Browning Cyclop?dia A Guide to the Study of the Works of Robert Browning by Edward Berdoe
The UN and other aid groups refuse to co-operate with the new system, saying it contravenes the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2025
Justice is always served when a court does not allow a defendant to manipulate a federal statute to their advantage in a way that contravenes its purpose.
From Slate ● Sep. 12, 2023
Isabel Rodriguez, the acting government spokesperson, said Spain would not do anything which contravenes the constitution.
From Reuters ● Sep. 11, 2023
Isabel Rodriguez, the acting government spokeswoman, said Spain would not do anything which contravenes the constitution.
From Reuters ● Sep. 11, 2023
I have employed too many nobles in political positions, which contravenes constitutionalism.
From China and the Manchus by Herbert Allen Giles
But the IOC said this contravened Games rules and, after Heraskevych refused to back down, disqualified him from competing.
From BBC ● Feb. 22, 2026
It previously said it would conduct an internal review of whether Singh contravened their rules.
From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2026
Ofcom has concluded that meant Fenix contravened its legal duty to provide accurate information, so levied the fine.
From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2025
Detractors said the plan contravened Kenya’s constitution because it would place officers in unnecessary danger and was carried out without broader public dialogue or the direct authorization of the government agencies tasked with national security.
From New York Times ● Feb. 4, 2024
But if we are to deal with the Cosmos we must first understand it, even if our hopes for some unearned preferential status are, in the process, contravened.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Phiri's lawyer, Powell Nkutabasa, told AFP the main allegations were misuse of office, contravening procurement procedures and dealing in "terrorist" property.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
British prosecutors on Monday charged Ajay Pant, the Indian captain of the Smyrtos, with contravening UK sanctions imposed on Russia following its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
She says she has never been accused of anything other than contravening immigration laws.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
They each face a charge of contravening the Regulation of Foreign Military Assistance Act.
From BBC ● Dec. 1, 2025
The International Confederation of Wizards has had to fine certain nations repeatedly for contravening Clause 73.
From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
