irruption
Americannoun
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a breaking or bursting in; a violent incursion or invasion.
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Ecology. a sudden increase in an animal population.
Etymology
Origin of irruption
1570–80; < Latin irruptiōn- (stem of irruptiō ), equivalent to irrupt ( us ), past participle of irrumpere to burst into ( ir- 1, rupture ) + -iōn- -ion
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.
The most serious threat to liberalism was the irruption of Bolshevism, Fascism and Nazism between 1917 and 1945.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
"The principal challenge in the past was eradication by anti-predator campaigns. Today the main challenge is habitat loss, irruption of natural corridors by roads and barriers, and conflict with humans," Marin told Salon.
From Salon • May 31, 2024
Waxwings are annual visitors from Scandinavia but they sometimes come in more significant numbers - known as an irruption - in search of food.
From BBC • Nov. 19, 2023
It’s time for my 13th annual squirrel irruption.
From Washington Post • Apr. 8, 2023
Her cheeks were ruddy and chapped in a way that presaged irruption.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
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.
