Inviolate
What it means
Kept free from violation, damage, or unwanted interference.
Reach for it when describing something that has in fact remained untouched or respected
The sealed evidence remained inviolate until both observers were present.
Words to choose between 6
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal |
|
| literary |
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everyday
untouched
Fits when no physical alteration or handling occurred
Careful Untouched says nothing about legal or moral violation.
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warm
preserved
Fits when care has maintained the thing over time
Careful Preserved can involve substantial intervention rather than leaving it inviolate.
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professional
Fits when all essential parts remain present and undamaged
Careful Intact material may have been improperly accessed and then restored.
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professional
unbreached
Fits when a boundary or defense has not been crossed
Careful Unbreached belongs to boundaries and defenses rather than dignity or principle.
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formal
Fits when function or value remains undiminished
Careful Unimpaired can follow contact or use and says nothing about violation.
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literary
Fits when reverence protects the thing from ordinary use
Careful Sacred adds religious value that inviolate does not require.
Opposites 3
- violated
- breached
- defiled
Common phrases 3
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remain inviolate
The original record must remain inviolate while copies are annotated.
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kept inviolate
The quiet room was kept inviolate during the hour of reflection.
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inviolate boundary
An inviolate boundary protected the participant's right to withdraw.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated