Meanings
plural usurpations
- countableuncountableThe wrongful seizure of something by force, especially of sovereignty or other authority.
Sent from the God's to ſet us free / From Bondage and from Uſurpation!
1685, John Dryden, Albion and Albanius, published 1691, Act I, scene i, page 101 more example
The third part of practice hath divers branches, but one principal root in these our times, which is the vast and overspreading ambition and usurpation of the see of Rome; […]
a. 1627 (date written), Francis Bacon, chapter VII, in James Spedding, editor, The Works of Francis Bacon, […]: The Letters and the Life of Francis Bacon […], volume IV, London: Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer, published 1858, →OCLC, page 270 - countableuncountableTrespass onto another's property without permission.
- countableuncountableA taking or use without right.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounentry to another's property without right or permission
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinūsurpātiō
- Old Frenchusurpacion
- Middle Englishusurpacioun
- Englishusurpation
From Middle English usurpacioun, from Old French usurpacion, from Latin ūsurpātiō; equivalent to usurp + -ation.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic غَصْب
- غَصْب (ḡaṣb)wrongful seizure
Bulgarian узурпа́ция, загра́бване
- узурпа́ция (uzurpácija)wrongful seizure
- загра́бване (zagrábvane)wrongful seizure
- присвоя́ване (prisvojávane)wrongful seizure
Catalan usurpació
- usurpaciówrongful seizure
Chinese Mandarin 篡位
- 篡位 (cuànwèi)wrongful seizure
Czech uzurpace
- uzurpacewrongful seizure
Danish usurpation, usurpering
- usurpationwrongful seizure
- usurperingwrongful seizure
Dutch verovering, overweldiging
- veroveringwrongful seizure
- overweldigingwrongful seizure
- wederrechtelijke inbezitnemingwrongful seizure
- bezitsaanmatigingwrongful seizure
- toeeigeningwrongful seizure
- usurpatiewrongful seizure
Estonian usurpeerimine
- usurpeeriminewrongful seizure
Finnish anastus, kaappaus
- anastuswrongful seizure
- kaappauswrongful seizure
French usurpation
- usurpationwrongful seizure
German Usurpation, Anmaßung
- Usurpationwrongful seizure
- Anmaßungwrongful seizure
- widerrechtliche Inbesitznahmewrongful seizure
Greek αντιποίηση
- αντιποίηση (antipoíisi)wrongful seizure
Hindi अपहरण
- अपहरण (apahraṇ)wrongful seizure
Hungarian bitorlás
- bitorláswrongful seizure
Icelandic valdarán
- valdaránwrongful seizure
Irish anlathas
- anlathaswrongful seizure
Italian usurpazione
- usurpazionewrongful seizure
Japanese 簒奪
- 簒奪 (sandatsu)wrongful seizure
Korean 찬탈
- 찬탈 (chantal)wrongful seizure
Latin usurpatio
- usurpatiowrongful seizure
Latvian uzurpācija
- uzurpācijawrongful seizure
Lithuanian uzurpacija
- uzurpacijawrongful seizure
Norwegian Bokmål usurpasjon
- usurpasjonwrongful seizure
Persian غَصب
- غَصب (ġasb)wrongful seizure
Polish uzurpacja
- uzurpacjawrongful seizure
Portuguese usurpação
- usurpaçãowrongful seizure
Romanian uzurpație, uzurpare
- uzurpațiewrongful seizure
- uzurparewrongful seizure
Russian узурпа́ция
- узурпа́ция (uzurpácija)wrongful seizure
Slovak uzurpácia
- uzurpáciawrongful seizure
Spanish usurpación
- usurpaciónwrongful seizure
Swedish usurpation
- usurpationwrongful seizure
Tagalog paggaga, angka
- paggagawrongful seizure
- angkawrongful seizure
Turkish gasp
- gaspwrongful seizure
Ukrainian узурпа́ція
- узурпа́ція (uzurpácija)wrongful seizure
Urdu غَصْب
- غَصْب (ġasb)wrongful seizure
Yiddish אוזורפּירונג
- אוזורפּירונג (uzurpirung)wrongful seizure
Cite this entry
usurpation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/usurpation
“usurpation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/usurpation. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “usurpation,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/usurpation.
Source: usurpation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.