invasion

noun

in·​va·​sion in-ˈvā-zhən 

1

: an act of invading

especially : incursion of an army for conquest or plunder

2

: the incoming or spread of something usually hurtful

Synonyms

• descent
• foray
• incursion
• inroad
• irruption
• raid

Examples of invasion in a Sentence

The enemy launched an invasion.

The people live under a constant threat of invasion.

The town is gearing up for the annual tourist invasion.

protecting the house from insect invasion

Recent Examples on the Web

Amid frequent talk of moral decline and warnings about an invasion of immigrants, right-wing discourse holds that the country is headed down the wrong track and that Republican leaders have been ineffective in wresting power from a dominant liberal elite. —David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2024

This includes families that depend upon a cobbled together solar generator for power, a squad of soldiers trying to fight back an invasion, or just bikepackers and overlanders taking the road less traveled. —Thomas Ricker, The Verge, 21 June 2024

The term of current secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, runs out on October 1. Rutte will inherit a NATO that is racing to bolster its own security while also supporting Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion. —Luke McGee, CNN, 20 June 2024

By Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen and John Boudreau / Bloomberg June 19, 2024 9:55 PM EDT Vietnam welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin, underlining its decades-old relationship with Moscow in the face of U.S. criticism over the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. —Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen and John Boudreau / Bloomberg, TIME, 20 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English invasioun "assault, attack," borrowed from Anglo-French invasion, envasioun, borrowed from Late Latin invāsiōn-, invāsiō "attack, taking possession by violence," from Latin invādere "to enter with hostile intent, assault, attack" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at invade

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing invasion

• counter-invasion
• invasion of (someone's) privacy
• pre-invasion

Kids Definition

invasion

noun

in·​va·​sion in-ˈvā-zhən 

: an act of invading

especially : entrance of an army into a country for conquest

Medical Definition

invasion

noun

in·​va·​sion in-ˈvā-zhən 

: the act of invading: as

a

: the penetration of the body of a host by a microorganism

b

: the spread and multiplication of a pathogenic microorganism or of malignant cells in the body of a host

Legal Definition

invasion

noun

in·​va·​sion in-ˈvā-zhən 

: the act of or an instance of invading