contravene

[ kon-truh-veen ]

verb (used with object)

, con·tra·vened, con·tra·ven·ing.

1. to come or be in conflict with; go or act against; deny or oppose:

   to contravene a statement.

2. to violate, infringe, or transgress:

   to contravene the law.

contravene

/ ˌkɒntrəˈviːn; ˌkɒntrəˈvɛnʃən /

verb

1. to come into conflict with or infringe (rules, laws, etc)
2. to dispute or contradict (a statement, proposition, etc)

Derived Forms

• contravention, noun
• ˌcontraˈvener, noun

Other Words From

• contra·vener noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of contravene¹

1560–70; < Late Latin contrāvenīre, equivalent to Latin contrā against + venīre to come

Word History and Origins

Origin of contravene¹

C16: from Late Latin contrāvenīre, from Latin contra- + venīre to come

Example Sentences

They serve their superiors reliably yet sometimes secretly, occasionally contravening their superiors' domestic interests by distorting what they tell them about bargains being struck with adversaries to hold off blood-dimmed tides.

From Salon

She said: “Often insurance companies will refuse to insure spas to welcome people with cancer, which is an absolute travesty as far as I’m concerned, and contravenes the Equality Act 2010.”

From BBC

Diarra's legal team successfully argued that the world governing body's current system contravenes EU laws regarding freedom of movement of players and competition between clubs.

From BBC

Prior to the snap election, the European Union's executive arm warned France that it would be disciplined for contravening the bloc's financial rules.

From BBC

Since 2020, more than a dozen Palestinians have been killed in protests against the Israeli outpost of Evyatar, whose establishment contravened international and Israeli law.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• breach
• conflict with
• defy
• disobey
• hinder
• impugn
• infringe
• interfere
• negate
• overstep
• repudiate
• transgress
• violate