Standard Lemma guide

usurpation

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌjuː.sə(ɹ)ˈpeɪ.ʃən/
  • /-zə(ɹ)ˈ-/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: Y UW2 S ER0 P EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The wrongful seizure of something by force, especially of sovereignty or other authority.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Trespass onto another's property without permission.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A taking or use without right.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

wrongfully seizing and holding (an office or powers) by force (especially the seizure of a throne or supreme authority)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a succession of generals who ruled by usurpation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: capture, gaining control, seizure

5

noun

Meaning 5

entry to another's property without right or permission

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: trespass, encroachment, violation, intrusion

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wrongdoing, wrongful conduct, misconduct, actus reus

Narrower terms: inroad

History

Etymology

From Middle English usurpacioun, from Old French usurpacion, from Latin ūsurpātiō; equivalent to usurp + -ation.

Across languages

Translations

61 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: غَصْب (ḡaṣb) — wrongful seizure
  • Armenian: ուզուրպացիա (uzurpacʻia) — wrongful seizure
  • Armenian: յուրացում (yuracʻum) — wrongful seizure
  • Azerbaijani: qəsb — wrongful seizure
  • Belarusian: узурпа́цыя (uzurpácyja) — wrongful seizure
  • Bulgarian: узурпа́ция (uzurpácija) — wrongful seizure
  • Bulgarian: загра́бване (zagrábvane) — wrongful seizure
  • Bulgarian: присвоя́ване (prisvojávane) — wrongful seizure
  • Catalan: usurpació — wrongful seizure
  • Chinese Mandarin: 篡位 (cuànwèi) — wrongful seizure
  • Czech: uzurpace — wrongful seizure
  • Danish: usurpation — wrongful seizure
  • Danish: usurpering — wrongful seizure
  • Dutch: verovering — wrongful seizure
  • Dutch: overweldiging — wrongful seizure
  • Dutch: wederrechtelijke inbezitneming — wrongful seizure
  • Dutch: bezitsaanmatiging — wrongful seizure
  • Dutch: toeeigening — wrongful seizure
  • Dutch: usurpatie — wrongful seizure
  • Estonian: usurpeerimine — wrongful seizure
  • Finnish: anastus — wrongful seizure
  • Finnish: kaappaus — wrongful seizure
  • French: usurpation — wrongful seizure
  • Galician: usurpación — wrongful seizure
  • Georgian: უზურპაცია (uzurṗacia) — wrongful seizure
  • German: Usurpation — wrongful seizure
  • German: Anmaßung — wrongful seizure
  • German: widerrechtliche Inbesitznahme — wrongful seizure
  • Greek: αντιποίηση (antipoíisi) — wrongful seizure
  • Hindi: अपहरण (apahraṇ) — wrongful seizure
  • Hungarian: bitorlás — wrongful seizure
  • Icelandic: valdarán — wrongful seizure
  • Irish: anlathas — wrongful seizure
  • Italian: usurpazione — wrongful seizure
  • Japanese: 簒奪 (sandatsu) — wrongful seizure
  • Korean: 찬탈 (chantal) — wrongful seizure
  • Latin: usurpatio — wrongful seizure
  • Latvian: uzurpācija — wrongful seizure
  • Lithuanian: uzurpacija — wrongful seizure
  • Macedonian: узурпација (uzurpacija) — wrongful seizure
  • Norwegian Bokmål: usurpasjon — wrongful seizure
  • Occitan: usurpacion — wrongful seizure
  • Persian: غَصب (ġasb) — wrongful seizure
  • Polish: uzurpacja — wrongful seizure
  • Portuguese: usurpação — wrongful seizure
  • Romanian: uzurpație — wrongful seizure
  • Romanian: uzurpare — wrongful seizure
  • Russian: узурпа́ция (uzurpácija) — wrongful seizure
  • Serbo-Croatian: узурпа́ција — wrongful seizure
  • Serbo-Croatian: uzurpácija — wrongful seizure
  • Slovak: uzurpácia — wrongful seizure
  • Slovene: uzurpacija — wrongful seizure
  • Spanish: usurpación — wrongful seizure
  • Swedish: usurpation — wrongful seizure
  • Tagalog: paggaga — wrongful seizure
  • Tagalog: angka — wrongful seizure
  • Tajik: ғасб (ġasb) — wrongful seizure
  • Turkish: gasp — wrongful seizure
  • Ukrainian: узурпа́ція (uzurpácija) — wrongful seizure
  • Urdu: غَصْب (ġasb) — wrongful seizure
  • Yiddish: אוזורפּירונג (uzurpirung) — wrongful seizure