incursion

noun

in·​cur·​sion in-ˈkər-zhən How to pronounce incursion (audio)
1
: a hostile entrance into a territory : raid
2
: an entering in or into (something, such as an activity or undertaking)
his only incursion into the arts

Examples of incursion in a Sentence

an incursion into enemy airspace there were incursions from the border every summer
Recent Examples on the Web In June, Israeli soldiers mounted a two-day incursion into Jenin, the largest military operation in the occupied West Bank in decades. Hazem Balousha, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2023 Four people were killed and more than 30 injured as a result of a Tuesday evening Israeli military incursion into the Jenin refugee camp, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the West Bank said. Kareem Khadder, CNN, 20 Sep. 2023 Karl asked whether Blinken, in his engagements, had raised Kyiv's increasing incursions into Russian territory -- strikes that the country's officials frequently defend as warranted over outcry from Moscow but that Ukraine does not explicitly take credit for conducting. Shannon K. Crawford, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2023 This year, a spate of runway incursions led to the creation of the FAA Safety Summit, which brought together industry, labor, and government, resulting in the launch of new safety programs, including the Stand Up for Safety air traffic controller training. Steve Dickson, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2023 In addition, Ukraine lacks the air power to support its ground incursions. Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY, 8 Aug. 2023 Its reputation has grown more complicated over time, even as it’s made some incursions into publishing. Dan Sinykin, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2023 The Terps made another deep incursion into 49ers territory and used a 37-yard screen pass from Tagovailoa to Hemby to earn first-and-goal at the 7. Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 10 Sep. 2023 Israel says most of the Palestinians killed were militants, but stone-throwing youths protesting the incursions and those not involved in the confrontations have also been killed. Isabel Debre The Associated Press, Arkansas Online, 2 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incursion.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin incursion-, incursio, from incurrere

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of incursion was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near incursion

Cite this Entry

“Incursion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incursion. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

incursion

noun
in·​cur·​sion in-ˈkər-zhən How to pronounce incursion (audio)
: a sudden usually temporary invasion : raid

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