usurp
Americanverb (used with object)
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to seize and hold (a position, office, power, etc.) by force or without legal right.
The pretender tried to usurp the throne.
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to use without authority or right; employ wrongfully.
The magazine usurped copyrighted material.
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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usurpationnoun
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usurpernoun
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self-usurpverb (used without object)
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nonusurpingadjective
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unusurpingadjective
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usurpativeadjective
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nonusurpinglyadverb
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usurpinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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usurpsimple
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usurpssimple
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have usurpedperfect
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has usurpedperfect
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am usurpingprogressive
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are usurpingprogressive
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is usurpingprogressive
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have been usurpingperfect progressive
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has been usurpingperfect progressive
Past
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usurpedsimple
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had usurpedperfect
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was usurpingprogressive
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were usurpingprogressive
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had been usurpingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of usurp
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Latin ūsūrpāre “to take possession through use,” equivalent to ūsū (ablative of ūsus “act of using, employment” ( see use) + -rp-, reduced form of -rip-, combining form of rapere “to seize” + -āre infinitive ending
Explanation
If you take over your neighbor's backyard and claim his in-ground swimming pool as your own, you might seize control of, or usurp his yard, but he'll probably call the cops on you. Leaders who usurp power don't ask for permission to take control of their country. They seize power, often with the help of a large army of followers. A usurper doesn't have to be human. A brand-new radio station can usurp the most popular station in town by playing a better mix of music.
Vocabulary lists containing usurp
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Project 222 is what he and his team call it - 222 seconds being what he needs to target to usurp a mark that has stood for 27 years.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
Both missions combine into one, with the wrinkle that Rotta doesn’t want to be returned to his relatives, whom he expects will kill him because he could potentially usurp them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
They are, er, not wholly convinced that there's a level playing field when the east coast is threatening to usurp a giant from the west.
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
But I was just trying to find a way for Jonesy and Cookie to play — we weren’t thinking about trying to usurp Johnny or anything like that.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026
Now, a god cannot usurp another god’s symbol of power directly—that is forbidden by the most ancient of divine laws.
From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan
A clairvoyant slowly usurps the estate of a distinguished Viennese family by selling them her dreams.
From New York Times ● Apr. 7, 2023
For one, outsourcing art selections to company execs usurps the role of museum curators.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 18, 2022
It usurps the previous record-holder, found in a 5,000-year-old Scandinavian mass grave associated with a possible plague epidemic.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 16, 2021
Humbly, she understood that death sometimes usurps small liberties.
From Slate ● May 16, 2020
In some ways, she thinks he usurps what should be her role.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
State Farm was this year usurped as the nation’s biggest personal auto insurer by Progressive, losing a throne held since World War II.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
Ultimately, society’s ingrained fear of missing out on making money will be usurped by the fear of losing money.
From Barron's ● Apr. 15, 2026
Political cartooning is a dying art, usurped by illustrations that trade intelligent ribbing for low-brow button pushing — or, equally as startling, memes that require minimal effort to make.
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2025
The 42-year-old has only finished in the top 10 twice in 39 previous major appearances but his five-under 66 was the round of the day before Scheffler usurped him.
From BBC ● May 17, 2025
José Arcadio continued to profit from the usurped lands, the title to which was recognized by the Conservative government.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Instead he adopts St. Augustine’s anthropology and depicts the new seekers of the City of Man usurping the old believers in the City of God.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026
However, they still ended the 2023-24 season as champions, usurping Manchester City on goal difference on the final day.
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026
But others worry about sports usurping resources and valuable attention that should be devoted to rebuilding.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 15, 2025
As historian Joshua Zeitz explains, historians today "remember Jackson's role in usurping congressional authority to kill the bank, and they remember Jackson as the first president to face congressional rebuke for his conduct."
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2023
It would not do to make him feel as if his mother were usurping his place.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
