usurpation
[ yoo-ser-pey-shuhn, -zer- ]
/ ˌyu sərˈpeɪ ʃən, -zər- /
noun
an act of usurping; wrongful or illegal encroachment, infringement, or seizure.
illegal seizure and occupation of a throne.
QUIZZES
DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Origin of usurpation
OTHER WORDS FROM usurpation
u·sur·pa·tive [yoo-sur-puh-tiv, ‐zur‐], /yuˈsɜr pə tɪv, ‐ˈzɜr‐/, u·sur·pa·to·ry [yoo-sur-puh-tawr-ee, ‐tohr-ee, ‐zur‐], /yuˈsɜr pəˌtɔr i, ‐ˌtoʊr i, ‐ˈzɜr‐/, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021