contravene

verb con·tra·vene \ˌkän-trə-ˈvēn\

: to fail to do what is required by (a law or rule)

con·tra·venedcon·tra·ven·ing

Full Definition of CONTRAVENE

transitive verb

: to go or act contrary to : violate <contravene a law>

: to oppose in argument : contradict <contravene a proposition>

— con·tra·ven·er noun

See contravene defined for English-language learners

Origin of CONTRAVENE

Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French contrevenir, from Late Latin contravenire, from Latin contra- + venire to come — more at come

First Known Use: 1567

Related to CONTRAVENE

Synonyms: breach, break, violate, fracture, infringe, offend, traduce, transgress

Antonyms: comply (with), conform (to), follow, mind, obey, observe

Synonym Discussion of CONTRAVENE

deny, gainsay, contradict, contravene mean to refuse to accept as true or valid. deny implies a firm refusal to accept as true, to grant or concede, or to acknowledge the existence or claims of <denied the charges>. gainsay implies disputing the truth of what another has said <no one can gainsay her claims>. contradict implies an open or flat denial <her account contradicts his>. contravene implies not so much an intentional opposition as some inherent incompatibility <laws that contravene tradition>.

Learn More About CONTRAVENE

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for "contravene"

Spanish Central: Spanish translation of "contravene"

Nglish: Translation of "contravene" for Spanish speakers

Britannica English: Translation of "contravene" for Arabic speakers

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