contravene
/ˌkɒn.tɹəˈviːn/verb
contravene is spelled C-O-N-T-R-A-V-E-N-E: 10 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 66,686th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, contravene means “To act contrary to an order; to fail to conform to a regulation or obligation” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in contravene?
| Letters | 10: C-O-N-T-R-A-V-E-N-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 5 million words; the 66,686th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is contravene?
Contravene appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 66,686th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce contravene?
- UK /ˌkɒn.tɹəˈviːn/
Contravene has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-contravene.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with contravene?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as contravene from its last stressed vowel (/in/, British pronunciation):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: covenanter.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of contravene
- contravenes present, singular, he/she/it
- contravening participle, present
- contravened participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does contravene mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To act contrary to an order; to fail to conform to a regulation or obligation.
- 2
obsoleteTo deny the truth of something.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Contravene in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | zuwiderhandeln, verstoßen , leugnen |
| Spanish | contravenir, conculcar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does contravene come from?
From Middle French contravenir (French contrevenir), from Latin contraveniō.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).