usurp

verb

yu̇-ˈsərp 

also

-ˈzərp 

usurped; usurping; usurps

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

ˌyü-sər-ˈpā-shən 

 also  ˌyü-zər-

noun

Did you know?

While often associated with questionable behavior by the royals of eras past, usurp retains its usefulness today. It’s still typically applied when someone takes power without authority or the right to do so, though the power taken is not necessarily political and the question of right and authority may be subject to debate; a city council usurping a mayor’s power is a more traditional use of the word, but one product can be said to be usurping market share from another, and one athlete may claim to have usurped GOAT status. The usurpation can even be sartorial: Amanda Mull, writing for The Atlantic, noted how tracksuits in the 1980s “usurped much of cotton sweatpants’ momentum toward legitimate coolness.” Usurp comes from Latin: usurpare, meaning “to take possession of without a legal claim,” was formed by combining usu (a form of usus, meaning “use,” which also led to the words usually and use) and rapere (“to seize”).

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

Spotify, with its much vaunted algorithms, had usurped these old modes of finding new music and promised something greater: a centralized hub where the entirety of one’s discovery and listening could occur. —Brady Brickner-Wood, The New Yorker, 10 Dec. 2024

In 2023, according to Guiness, a farmer in Quebec usurped Cool Patch for the title to world’s largest maze. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2024

Both sides of the aisle should be wary when politicians usurp the responsibility of investors. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 13 Sep. 2024

Upon its release in 2001, Shrek was one of the highest-grossing films of the box office that year, usurped by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. —Sara Belcher, People.com, 29 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French usorper, from Latin usurpare to take possession of without legal claim, from usu (ablative of usus use) + rapere to seize — more at rapid

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

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Kids Definition

usurp

verb

yu̇-ˈsərp 

also

-ˈzərp 

: to seize and hold by force or without right

usurp power from the king

Legal Definition

usurp

verb

yu̇-ˈsərp, -ˈzərp 

transitive verb

: to seize and hold (as office, place, or powers) in possession by force or without right

the courts may not usurp the powers of the legislature

intransitive verb

: to seize or exercise authority or possession wrongfully

usurpation

ˌyü-sər-ˈpā-shən, -zər- 

noun

usurper

yu̇-ˈsər-pər, -ˈzər- 

noun

Etymology

Latin usurpare to take possession of without a strict legal claim, from usus use + rapere to seize