Usurp
verb ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
- 1 To seize power from another, usually by illegitimate means.
"[S]o he dies, But soon revives, Death over him no power Shall long usurp […]"
- 2 seize and take control without authority and possibly with force; take as one's right or possession wordnet
- 3 To use and assume the coat of arms of another person.
- 4 take the place of wordnet
- 5 To take the place rightfully belonging to someone or something else.
"But if now / You ſhould (as cruell fathers do) proclame / Your right, and Tyrant like uſurp the glory / Of my peculiar honours, not deriv'd / From ſucceſſary, but purchas'd with my bloud, / Then I muſt ſtand firſt Champion for my ſelfe, / Againſt all interpoſers."
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- 6 To make use of. obsolete
""[…] especially considering that even Matter it self, in which they tumble and wallow, which they feel with their hands and usurp with all their Senses […]""
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"With the heirless king going crazy and royal family poisoned, the general of the army finally had his chance to usurp the throne."
Etymology
From Middle English usurpen, from Old French usurper, from Latin ūsūrpō (ūsus use + rapiō seize).
Related phrases
More for "usurp"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.