Meaning & use
usurpation
The act of seizing and holding power, a position, or rights that belong to someone else, typically without legal right.
See it in a sentence
Historians describe the general's rise to the throne as a usurpation rather than a lawful succession.
The council condemned the minister's usurpation of powers that belonged to the elected assembly.
A note on using this word
Usurpation implies illegitimacy, unlike a legal transfer of power through election or inheritance.
Words with a similar meaning
seizuretakeover
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
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