invasion

American  

[in-vey-zhuhn] / ɪnˈveɪ ʒən /

noun

1. an act or instance of invading or entering as an enemy, especially by an army.

2. the entrance or advent of anything troublesome or harmful, as disease.

3. entrance as if to take possession or overrun.

   the annual invasion of the resort by tourists.

4. infringement by intrusion.

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invasion British  

/ ɪnˈveɪʒən /

noun

1. the act of invading with armed forces

2. any encroachment or intrusion

   an invasion of rats

3. the onset or advent of something harmful, esp of a disease

4. pathol the spread of cancer from its point of origin into surrounding tissues

5. the movement of plants to a new area or to an area to which they are not native

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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

“I fear this will be the hardest winter since the invasion.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The Constitution gives Congress the power “to provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions.”

From Los Angeles Times

But the fate of Russia’s POWs has been an overlooked chapter of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

From The Wall Street Journal

Less than a week later, it was Saudi Arabia hosting the highest bilateral talks between top U.S. and Russian officials since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine—with Witkoff, not Kellogg, at the table.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the run-up to the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian officials denied they had plans for a mass attack.

From BBC

Related Words

• aggression
• assault
• breach
• incursion
• infiltration
• infringement
• intrusion
• offensive
• onslaught
• raid
• violation