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.
- 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.
- transitive verb To seize, and hold in possession, by force, or without right
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb To
seize power from another, usually byillegitimate means . - verb To use and
assume thecoat 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
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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But she used the magic word usurp, which is always big ...
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I wondered who the skinny Black guy was trying to 'usurp' my candidate's position, then I heard him speak.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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."
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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.
d4divine commented on the word usurp
the court usurp the powers of the legislature...legislative usurpation
May 29, 2008
thesaraheffect commented on the word usurp
I can never take this word seriously, my brain will insist on saying "you-slurp!" every time it's mentioned.
September 24, 2009