Contravene meaning

kŏn'trə-vēn'
To contravene is to go against or contradict.

An example of contravene is for a soldier to go against the commands of his officer.

An example of contravene is for a lawyer to give facts that disprove earlier statements.

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To act or be in violation of (a law, directive, or principle, for example); violate.

A sailor who contravened a direct order; a regulation that contravened the new tax policy.

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To be inconsistent with; be contrary to.
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To go against; oppose; conflict with; violate.

Practices contravening an ethical code.

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To disagree with in argument; contradict.
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To act contrary to an order, or fail to conform to a regulation.
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To deny the truth of something.
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Origin of contravene

  • French contrevenir from Medieval Latin contrāvenīre to transgress from Late Latin to oppose Latin contrā- contra- Latin venīre to come gwā- in Indo-European roots
    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
  • From Middle French contravenir (French contrevenir), from Latin contraveniō.
    From Wiktionary

Contravene Sentence Examples

  • Still more distinctly did he contravene the general tendency of scientific explanation.

  • We must indeed accept our feelings; but we must also believe much which is not directly testified by sensation, if only it serves to explain phenomena and does not contravene our sensations.

  • His passion for absolutism made him consider himself master of souls as well as bodies, and Bossuet did nothing to contravene an opinion which was, indeed, common to every and the sovereign of his day.

  • The several states, whose revenue powers are only limited by: (a) restrictions in their respective constitutions, and (b) the general principle that those powers must not be exercised in such a way as to contravene laws of the United States, or to destroy sources of the national revenue, although a state may prohibit within its borders the sale of liquors, from taxes upon which the Unit~d States Treasury derives a considerable part of its receipts.

  • Does this contravene any building regulations or safety regulations?

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