dethrone
Americanverb (used with object)
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to remove from a throne; depose.
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to remove from any position of power or authority.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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dethronesimple
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dethronessimple
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have dethronedperfect
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has dethronedperfect
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are dethroningprogressive
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am dethroningprogressive
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is dethroningprogressive
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have been dethroningperfect progressive
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has been dethroningperfect progressive
Past
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dethronedsimple
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had dethronedperfect
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was dethroningprogressive
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were dethroningprogressive
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had been dethroningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dethrone
Explanation
To dethrone means to remove a king or queen from power, like when Mary, Queen of Scots was kicked out of Scotland. You can also dethrone someone less formally, as when you dethrone your school's fastest runner by beating her mile time. In today's politics, to force a leader out of office is to depose them — except in the case of a monarchy, when we use the word dethrone. It literally means "to remove from the throne" and therefore refers specifically to those who sit on thrones: namely, kings and queens. You can also use this word in a figurative way to mean "remove from a dominant position." So, for example, you can say that the new jump rope champion dethrones the previous record holder.
Vocabulary lists containing dethrone
Get Out of Town!
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for May 31–June 6, 2026
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Adventures of Don Quixote
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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.
Dubois survived two early knockdowns to dethrone fellow Briton Wardley with an 11th-round stoppage in Manchester on Saturday.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
But, by the numbers, the Spurs have already distinguished themselves as the likeliest team to dethrone the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
Another clip shows Robert Pattinson sporting a platinum blond buzzcut and staring menacingly in his role as Scytale, who is a new addition to the films and is described as wanting to dethrone Atreides.
From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026
The first of his major objectives for the season is May's Giro d'Italia, after which he will try to dethrone Pogacar at the Tour, seeking to add to his 2022 and 2023 successes.
From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026
Because of the championship voters’ pronounced bias toward eastern horses in general and War Admiral in particular, Seabiscuit almost certainly could not dethrone the Horse of the Year without beating him on the track.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
