usurped

American  

[yoo-surpt, -zurpt] / yuˈsɜrpt, -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.

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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

The later stages of the show highlight a few transitional designers whose work either shaped or anticipated the Midcentury Modernist movement that usurped Art Deco.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

Spain's Alcaraz finally usurped his rival at the top of the rankings in September, ending Sinner's 65-week stint by winning the final Grand Slam of 2025 in New York.

From BBC • Nov. 8, 2025

In claiming power to give France a new constitution, Mr. Hardman notes, the assembly “had usurped the rights of the people as well as the king.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 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

José Arcadio continued to profit from the usurped lands, the title to which was recognized by the Conservative government.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Related Words

• annex
• preempt
• supplant
• wrest