usurp

usurp
verb
yu;-;s;rp  also -;z;rp
usurped; usurping; usurps
Synonyms of usurp
transitive verb

1
a
: to seize and hold (office, place, functions, powers, etc.) in possession by force or without right
usurp a throne
b
: to take or make use of without right
usurped the rights to her life story
2
: to take the place of by or as if by force : supplant
must not let stock responses based on inherited prejudice usurp careful judgment
intransitive verb

: to seize or exercise authority or possession wrongfully
usurpation
;y;-s;r-;p;-sh;n
 also
;y;-z;r-
 noun


Did you know?
Usurp was borrowed into English in the 14th century from the Anglo-French word usorper, which in turn derives from the Latin verb usurpare, meaning "to take possession of without a legal claim." Usurpare itself was formed by combining usu (a form of usus, meaning "use") and rapere ("to seize"). Other descendants of rapere in English include rapacious ("given to seizing or extorting what is coveted"), rapine ("the seizing and carrying away of things by force"), rapt (the earliest sense of which is "lifted up and carried away"), and ravish (one meaning of which is "to seize and take away by violence").

Synonyms
appropriate
arrogate
commandeer
convert
expropriate
pirate
preempt
press
seize
take over
Examples of usurp in a Sentence
Some people have accused city council members of trying to usurp the mayor's power.
attempting to usurp the throne
Recent Examples on the Web
California The brilliant autumn foliage in this Eastern Sierra paradise is drawing a global crowd Oct. 8, 2024 In 2023, according to Guiness, a farmer in Quebec usurped Cool Patch for the title to world’s largest maze.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024
His attempt to usurp Frank ‘Black Godfather’ Moten’s (Samuel L. Jackson) position nearly prevented Atlanta from transforming into the Black Mecca.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 10 Oct. 2024
Developing the energy system in Iraq is also an opportunity to usurp China’s position in the region, Pyatt said.
—Dipka Bhambhani, Forbes, 7 Oct. 2024
Those three members passed the rule despite being advised by Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, a Republican, that the board would likely be unlawfully usurping the power of the state legislature.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY, 20 Sep. 2024