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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”).
Examples of usurp in a Sentence
Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2025
In its court filings Friday, the administration contended that the judge had usurped both legislative and executive authority.
—Michelle L. Price, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2025
Twice, the administration appealed, contending that the judiciary had usurped Congress's spending power by directing the executive branch to find the money.
—James Sample, ABC News, 8 Nov. 2025
However, Pëllumb Petritaj, a close associate, was convicted in 2018 of forging land documents to usurp 187 hectares.
—Lindita Cela, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for usurp
Cite this Entry
“Usurp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/usurp. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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usurp
verbLatin usurpare to take possession of without a strict legal claim, from usus use + rapere to seize
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