incursion
Americannoun
-
a sudden invasion, attack, or raid
-
the act of running or leaking into; penetration
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of incursion
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin incursiōn- (stem of incursiō ) raid, equivalent to incurs ( us ) (past participle of incurrere to incur ) + -iōn- -ion; see excursion
Explanation
When an army crosses a border into another country for battle, they are making an incursion into enemy territory. An incursion is an invasion as well as an attack. Incursion can also be used to describe other things that rush in like an army such as an invasive species into a new region or floodwaters entering your home. When an airplane heads onto a runway it is not supposed to land on, risking airport safety, it is known as a runway incursion. And an incursion of cold air could make September feel like December.
Vocabulary lists containing incursion
Lord of the Flies
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The Son of Neptune
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Texas v. Johnson (1989)
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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:
The assessments envision scenarios ranging from a cyberattack to a small-scale land incursion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Even a small incursion could doom the alliance if it lacks the political will to respond with force.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Here the enduring wisdom of Indian spiritual philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti, Ojai’s informal patron saint, serves even to hold a recent incursion of ultra-rich to account.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
The former president was given 30 years in jail over the drone incursion, a spokesperson for the Seoul Central District Court told AFP Friday.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
The play she saw as a gentle incursion into another culture we played as a comic romp with great effect.
From "Bad Boy" by Walter Dean Myers
Add in the pattern of incursions into European airspace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Fire officials warned that "unauthorized" drone incursions into restricted airspace above wildfires were forcing the grounding of helicopters and other aircraft fighting the blazes.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
There have been increasing complaints from farmers about damaged crops and residents over bear incursions into inhabited areas, sparking angry social media exchanges with those who defend the animals' protected status.
From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026
I tolerate these brief incursions, which are far fewer than the ads that load up individual leagues’ official apps.
From Slate ● Jun. 10, 2026
His successful predictions included rebellious activity by the peasants in Styria, incursions into Austria by the Turks in the east and a cold winter.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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.
