Showing results for "usurped"

• past participle of usurp.
• past tense form of usurp.

usurped

American  

[yoo-surpt, -zurpt] / juˈsɜrpt, -ˈzɜrpt /

adjective

1. seized by force or without legal right.

   When Edward IV deposed Henry VI, some saw it as a providential restoration of the usurped throne to the lawful heirs of Richard II.

2. deprived of something forcibly or without legal right.

   The peasants and other members of the usurped communities have been forced to work as peons in the land that previously belonged to them.

3. used or employed without authority or right; used wrongfully.

   Exploitation of usurped or counterfeited web content is punishable by criminal law.

---

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of usurp.

Other Word Forms

• unusurped
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of usurped

usurp ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

A collection of trade groups representing banks and credit unions quickly sued, arguing it usurped banks’ rights under federal law.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

Ultimately, society’s ingrained fear of missing out on making money will be usurped by the fear of losing money.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

While leading tennis pros still command huge attention, there is a perception that golfers have been usurped by female footballers and basketball luminaries such as the Indiana guard Caitlin Clark.

From BBC • May 29, 2025

Between 2010 and 2020, medical debt usurped nonmedical debt as the largest source of Americans’ debt in collections, according to a study published in the National Library of Medicine.

From Salon • Dec. 10, 2024

And because they were still hungry and didn’t want to waste food, they picked the hot dogs off the grass and ate them right before a flock of seagulls usurped them.

From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez

Related Words

• annex
• preempt
• supplant
• wrest