A violation is the act of breaking a rule, law, or agreement. When a basketball player commits a traveling violation, they've broken the rules by taking too many steps without dribbling. When someone parks in a no-parking zone, they've committed a parking violation. When a country breaks an international treaty, that's a treaty violation.

The word suggests crossing a clear boundary that was established beforehand. A violation means someone or something has failed to follow a known standard or expectation. You might accidentally forget your homework, but if you promised your teacher you'd turn it in and then deliberately didn't, that would be a violation of your promise.

Violations can be minor or serious. A traffic violation might just mean a small fine, while a human rights violation is a grave offense against someone's basic freedoms. Some violations happen by accident, but the word often implies that someone knew the rule and broke it anyway.

In sports, violations usually result in penalties: the other team might get the ball, or you might lose points. In society, violations can lead to fines, loss of privileges, or more serious consequences depending on what was broken. The key is that a violation means a specific rule or standard wasn’t followed.