invasion
Americannoun
-
an act or instance of invading or entering as an enemy, especially by an army.
-
the entrance or advent of anything troublesome or harmful, as disease.
-
entrance as if to take possession or overrun.
the annual invasion of the resort by tourists.
-
infringement by intrusion.
noun
-
the act of invading with armed forces
-
any encroachment or intrusion
an invasion of rats
-
the onset or advent of something harmful, esp of a disease
-
pathol the spread of cancer from its point of origin into surrounding tissues
-
the movement of plants to a new area or to an area to which they are not native
Other Word Forms
- preinvasion adjective
- reinvasion noun
Etymology
Origin of invasion
1400–50; late Middle English < Late Latin invāsīon- (stem of invāsiō ), equivalent to invās ( us ), past participle of invādere + -iōn- -ion; invade
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.
Analysts weighing possible U.S. ground operations focus on an invasion of Kharg island, Iran’s main export terminal, in a move to seize the country’s oil.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
Last week, the price of diesel in France hit its highest level since 1985, surpassing the peaks reached after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
August 2022 was the last time the national average for a gallon of gas hit $4, during the early months of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
In 1990, when gasoline prices jumped in response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, helping to precipitate a recession, the average light vehicle got 18.8 miles to the gallon.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
Dejectedly Matthias sat down on a heap of rock and rubble that had been there since the invasion.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
