usurper

[ yoo-sur-per, -zur‐ ]

noun

1. someone who seizes an office or position of power by force or without legal right, or who is perceived to have done so:

   The usurper Vitigis gathered his army together and laid siege to Rome.

Word History and Origins

Origin of usurper¹

First recorded in 1400–50; usurp ( def ) + -er ¹( def )

Example Sentences

In other words, while the West had lost an imperial usurper in 476, it still had a legitimate Roman emperor.

From Time

This usurper showed a better understanding of why ladybirds were different colors and jumped from 5th to 1st position during February.

From Search Engine Land

Some weeks ago, when the United States was contending with its own insurrection, I discussed the nature of coups d’etat and how, last century, usurpers tended to seize TV stations before storming presidential palaces.

From Fortune

The nimblest usurpers snatch power before anyone knows what has happened.

From Fortune

Branded a usurper, Bruce had been excommunicated by the Vatican.

From The Daily Beast

Or because he supported the deposed King Richard II rather than the usurper Henry Bolingbroke?

From The Daily Beast

This emboldened him to add “the usurper that is in the White House … B. Hussein Obama” to the list said in his church on Sundays.

From The Daily Beast

He has been offering “imprecatory prayers” against “the usurper that is in the White House…B. Hussein Obama.”

From The Daily Beast

To sum the whole matter, the Britisher is an odious usurper “who has always got one eye open.”

From Project Gutenberg

If reason is to rule, the usurper, religion, must be ejected; hence atheism was fundamental to his entire system.

From Project Gutenberg

And when they were through, the King (for all he was a rank usurper) spoke them fair, and gave each man three guineas in his hand.

From Project Gutenberg

The circumstances were propitious to the designs of a usurper.

From Project Gutenberg

This scandalous outrage was soon reported at Rome, and the sacrilegious usurper was excommunicated and banished.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• authoritarian
• autocrat
• commander
• despot
• totalitarian
• tyrant