Flout

Flout is a verb meaning to openly disregard or mock a rule, law, or convention. It implies deliberate contempt and a display of disregard for legal or social norms.

Used in formal and journalistic contexts, flout is transitive: you flout something. Common collocations include flout the rules, flout regulations, flout safety standards, or flout international law. The term often carries a sense of intentional defiance rather than mere noncompliance.

Etymology: The word dates from the medieval period, deriving from Middle English flouten, probably from Old French floter, with senses linked to mockery or trifling. Over time, the meaning shifted toward "openly disregard" or "defy."

Usage notes: Flout tends to imply public, conspicuous action and sometimes moral judgment. In everyday speech, speakers might simply say "ignore" or "defy," but flout carries stronger connotations of contempt and willfulness.

Examples: The company flouted environmental regulations by dumping waste illegally. The athletes flouted the league's dress code. The court warned against those who flout the law.