Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To seize and hold (the power or rights of another, for example) by force or without legal authority.
  • intransitive verb To take over or occupy without right.
  • intransitive verb To take the place of (another) without legal authority; supplant.
  • intransitive verb To seize another's place, authority, or possession wrongfully.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To seize and hold possession of, as of some important or dignified place, office, power, or property, by force or without right; seize, appropriate, or assume illegally or wrongfully: as, to usurp a throne; to usurp the prerogatives of the crown; to usurp power.
  • To assume, in a wider sense; put on; sometimes, to counterfeit.
  • To be or act as a usurper; hence, to commit illegal seizure; encroach: with on or upon.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To seize, and hold in possession, by force, or without right
  • intransitive verb To commit forcible seizure of place, power, functions, or the like, without right; to commit unjust encroachments; to be, or act as, a usurper.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To seize power from another, usually by illegitimate means.
  • verb To use and assume the coat of arms of another person.
  • verb obsolete To make use of.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb take the place of
  • verb seize and take control without authority and possibly with force; take as one's right or possession

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English usurpen, from Old French usurper, from Latin ūsūrpāre, to take into use, usurp; see reup- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French usurper, from Latin ūsūrpāre

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Examples

  • But she used the magic word usurp, which is always big ...

    CNN Transcript Sep 30, 2009 2009

  • I wondered who the skinny Black guy was trying to 'usurp' my candidate's position, then I heard him speak.

    Kennedy remembered as an advocate for all 2009

  • At the weekly news conference in Moscow, a Russian foreign-ministry spokesman said neighboring countries were free to choose alliances and denied Moscow was attempting to "usurp" other nations 'international rights.

    Rebuking Russian Ambitions, U.S. Backs Ukraine for NATO 2009

  • For extending deadlines and allowing hand recounts, Bush accused the Florida Supreme Court of trying to "usurp" the legislature's power.

    Full Court Press 2008

  • So they clearly know in the Obama campaign that he's been able to kind of usurp that mantle and bring change and the maverick thing.

    CNN Transcript Sep 8, 2008 2008

  • So, they clearly know in the Obama campaign that he's been able to kind of usurp that mantle and bring change and the -- the maverick thing.

    CNN Transcript Sep 8, 2008 2008

  • This flag contest has heightened tensions between the two communities with one accusing the other of trying to "usurp" areas which were traditionally dominated by them.

    Top Headlines 2010

  • This flag contest has heightened tensions between the two communities with one accusing the other of trying to "usurp" areas which were traditionally dominated by them.

    Top Headlines 2010

  • Qayum repeatedly expressed concern that the government might "usurp" the process: "An Afghan government-based negotiation would lead to everyone at the table demanding a slice of the government, but the government would be unable to satisfy all of these competing demands and would take the blame for the negotiations' failure."

    The Guardian World News 2010

  • This flag contest has heightened tensions between the two communities with one accusing the other of trying to "usurp" areas which were traditionally dominated by them.

    Latest News Online - Express Indian 2010

Comments

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  • the court usurp the powers of the legislature...legislative usurpation

    May 29, 2008

  • I can never take this word seriously, my brain will insist on saying "you-slurp!" every time it's mentioned.

    September 24, 2009