Meaning & use
usurp
To seize and hold a position of power or authority by force or without legal right.
See it in a sentence
The general usurped the throne after staging a swift and bloodless coup.
Critics accused the new manager of usurping decisions that belonged to the board.
A note on using this word
"Usurp" implies illegitimacy; the person taking power or authority has no rightful claim to it.
Words with a similar meaning
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