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

Google worked with the Israeli military in the immediate aftermath of its ground invasion of the Gaza Strip, racing to beat out Amazon to provide AI services, according to company documents obtained by the Washington Post. —Gaby Del Valle, The Verge, 22 Jan. 2025

The Chinese military deploys ships and aircraft around Taiwan for patrols and exercises, including invasion rehearsals. —Kristen Waggoner, Newsweek, 21 Jan. 2025

Accusations of privacy invasions Harry accuses the company's journalists and private investigators of unlawfully gaining access to his personal information over many years. —David Folkenflik, NPR, 21 Jan. 2025

Defense and security needs have dominated federal spending every year since the full-scale invasion in 2022, reaching 40 percent of total expenditures in the 2025 budget and representing more than eight percent of the country’s GDP. —Alexandra Prokopenko, Foreign Affairs, 21 Jan. 2025

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