usurpation
Americannoun
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an act of usurping; wrongful or illegal encroachment, infringement, or seizure.
-
illegal seizure and occupation of a throne.
Other Word Forms
- usurpative adjective
- usurpatory adjective
Etymology
Origin of usurpation
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin ūsūrpātiōn-, stem of ūsūrpātiō “a seizing for use,” equivalent to ūsūrpāt(us) “seized for use” (past participle of ūsūrpāre; usurp ) + -iō -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.
Domestically, opposition politicians chanted the traditional laments about executive usurpation and congressional war powers.
Opposition candidate González fled to Spain on Saturday after being accused of "serious crimes" including the "usurpation" of public duties, document falsification, instigation of disobedience and system sabotage.
From BBC
It was “repeated injuries and usurpations,” including the dispatch of “swarms of Officers to harrassour people,” that pushed previously loyal or, at least, passive colonists to the breaking point.
From Washington Post
Unless he can get off the back of that tiger, the Smithsonian is doomed to the infinite creation of special-interest museums and the usurpation of sites on the Mall.
From Washington Post
“We find this usurpation of an individual’s private property profoundly invasive, and we liken it to a technological trespass.”
From Seattle Times
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.
