Hydrolysis reaction was carried out at varying NaOH concentrations of 0.008, 0.016 and 0.024 M, variable temperature of 6 and 21 °C, and constant initial crystal violet (CV) concentration of 2.6 × 10–5 M. Kinetic data of the reaction were generated using UV–Vis Spectrophotometer. Analysis of the reaction kinetics shows that the overall rate order of the hydrolysis reaction was 1st order. The individual rate order of the reaction with respect to NaOH and CV was temperature dependent. At 21 °C the rate order with respect to NaOH and CV were 0.24th and 0.76th, respectively. While at 6 °C the individual rate order were 0.38th and 0.62th with respect to NaOH and CV, respectively. Values of the reaction rate constant (k) at 21 and 6 °C were 7.2 and 1.9 $$\left( {\frac{{{\text{mol}}}}{{\text{L}}}} \right)^{{ - 0.9}} min^{-1}$$
mol
L
-
0.9
m
i
n
-
1
, respectively. The activation energy of the reaction was determined as 60.57 kJ/mol. The reaction was an endothermic reaction having enthalpy values of 58.13 and 58.29 kJ/mol at 21 and 6 °C, respectively. The entropy and Gibbs free energy of the hydrolysis reaction at ambient temperature of 21 °C were − 64.72 J/mol K and 77.15 kJ/K, respectively. At 6 °C the entropy and Gibbs free energy of the reaction were − 64.29 J/mol K and 76.19 kJ/K, respectively.