invade

verb

in·​vade in-ˈvād 

invaded; invading

transitive verb

1

: to enter for conquest or plunder

2

: to encroach upon : infringe

3

a

: to spread over or into as if invading : permeate

doubts invade his mind

b

: to affect injuriously and progressively

gangrene invades healthy tissue

invader noun

Synonyms

• foray (into)
• overrun
• raid

Choose the Right Synonym for invade

trespass, encroach, infringe, invade mean to make inroads upon the property, territory, or rights of another.

trespass implies an unwarranted or unlawful intrusion.

hunters trespassing on farmland

encroach suggests gradual or stealthy entrance upon another's territory or usurpation of another's rights or possessions.

the encroaching settlers displacing the native peoples

infringe implies an encroachment clearly violating a right or prerogative.

infringing a copyright

invade implies a hostile and injurious entry into the territory or sphere of another.

accused of invading their privacy

Examples of invade in a Sentence

The troops invaded at dawn.

When tourists invade, the town is a very different place.

The cancer eventually invaded the brain.

Weeds had invaded the garden.

Bacteria invaded and caused an infection.

Recent Examples on the Web

The sequence in which zombies invade a television studio and cause live-on-air mayhem is worth the price of admission, and then some. —Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 26 Apr. 2024

In Europe, prices soared after Russia invaded Ukraine and the European Union moved quickly away from importing Russian natural gas, a critical source of energy. —Eshe Nelson, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2024

Although intelligence agencies were right about Russia’s intention to invade Ukraine—even getting the timing right—such high accuracy is not the norm. —David V. Gioe, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024

The global chips race heightened after Russia invaded Ukraine, when the US and its allies ramped up export controls on semiconductors to Moscow. —Mackenzie Hawkins, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024

The strike is one of the deadliest to hit the city since Russia invaded in February 2022. —Kostiantyn Khudov, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024

Offensive looming in Rafah Netanyahu has stressed the importance of invading Rafah in order to dismantle Hamas’s remaining battalions, despite significant pressure from the United States to call off an all-out ground offensive. —Jeremy Diamond, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024

The Saturday attack on Israel came more than six months after Hamas terrorists invaded the country on Oct. 7, 2023, after which the Israeli military began its bombardment of the Gaza Strip. —Melissa Gaffney, ABC News, 14 Apr. 2024

Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, in 2022, Virtue Worldwide, an ad agency, began working on Backup Ukraine, an ad campaign for UNESCO and Polycam, a photogrammetry company. —Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin invādere "to enter with hostile intent, assault, attack," from in- in- entry 2 + vādere "to advance, go (quickly or purposefully)" — more at wade entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing invade

• invade someone's privacy
• invade someone's space

Kids Definition

invade

verb

in·​vade in-ˈvād 

invaded; invading

1

: to enter for conquest or plunder

2

: to disturb or intrude upon

invaded their privacy

3

: to spread over or into usually harmfully

bacteria invading tissue

invader noun

Medical Definition

invade

transitive verb

in·​vade in-ˈvād 

invaded; invading

1

: to enter and spread within either normally (as in development) or abnormally (as in infection) often with harmful effects

protect the body from invading viruses

branches of a nerve invade the skin area

2

: to affect injuriously and progressively

gangrene invades healthy tissue

invader

-ˈvād-ər 

noun

Legal Definition

invade

transitive verb

in·​vade

invaded; invading

1

: to encroach upon : infringe

invading a constitutional right

2

: to make payments out of (a fund from which payments are not ordinarily made)

authorized the trustee to invade the principal for educational expenses