Etymology: < classical Latin violātus, past participle of violāre violate v. Compare later violate v. and also violation n. With sense 3 compare earlier violated adj.

Etymology: < classical Latin violāt-, past participial stem (see -ate suffix³) of violāre to disturb the sanctity of, profane, to treat without respect, to pollute, defile, to spoil, sully, to treat with violence, to outrage, to dishonour, to ravish, to transgress against, infringe, to injure, of uncertain origin (see note). Compare Anglo-Norman and Middle French, French violer to profane (a sacred place), to sack (a city) (both c1100 in Old French), to infringe, contravene (a rule or law), to fail to observe (an agreement, etc.), to rape or sexually assault (a woman) (all 12th cent.), to wound (late 13th cent.), to destroy (a person's virginity) (14th cent.), and also Old Occitan violar (12th cent.), Catalan violar (mid 15th cent.), Spanish violar (13th cent.), Portuguese violar (mid 15th cent.), Italian violare (mid 14th cent.). Compare earlier violate adj. and violent adj. Compare also viole v.Classical Latin violāre is usually derived, via an unattested adjective in -olus -olus suffix, from vīs strength (see vis n.²), although more recently a derivation from the Indo-European found in classical Latin vīs ‘you want’ and invītus ‘unwilling’ has also been suggested.