usurper

American  

[yoo-sur-per, -zur‐] / yuˈsɜr pər, -ˈzɜr‐ /

noun

1. someone who seizes an office or position of power by force or without legal right, or who is perceived to have done so.

   The usurper Vitigis gathered his army together and laid siege to Rome.

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Etymology

Origin of usurper

First recorded in 1400–50; usurp ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

Jordan then bulked up to star in the Coogler-directed boxing movie “Creed,” followed by Marvel blockbuster “Black Panther,” in which he played the title hero’s would-be usurper, Killmonger.

From Los Angeles Times

The Houthis say they now want "to pressure the Israeli usurper entity to reopen the crossings to the Gaza Strip and allow the entry of aid, including food and medical supplies".

From BBC

“When Paul played it to me at Abbey Road, I thought ‘I’m a usurper here; my dad should be around,’” Martin said.

From Los Angeles Times

The Fremen, whose home planet is Arrakis, where Spice is mined, bedevil the miners and the troops that protect them and, as the indigenous population battling imperial usurpers, are the faction you should root for.

From Los Angeles Times

As the manor devolves into something like “Lord of the Flies,” our hedonistic interloper uses this opening to become a usurper.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• authoritarian
• autocrat
• commander
• despot
• totalitarian
• tyrant