usurper

noun

usurp·​er yu̇-ˈsər-pər How to pronounce usurper (audio)
also
-ˈzər- How to pronounce usurper (audio)
plural usurpers
: one who usurps something: such as
a
: one who seizes and holds office, power, position, etc., by force or without right
… they are working through the harrowing part in which Frederick, the usurper of his brother's dukedom, banishes his niece Rosalind from his court.Lawrence Malkin
At 19, she's the besotted lover of King Richard III—until he's slain by the usurper King Henry VII and she's forced to become Henry's wife.Joanna Powell
b
: one who takes the place of another by or as if by force
The new people have come, the usurpers, with their private jets and home theaters … , scaring the waterfowl and scattering the discreet and peaceful ease.Dwight Garner
c
: one who takes or makes use of something without right
For example, a co-owner may alone take all the necessary steps for the preservation of the property, including the institution of suits against trespassers or usurpers.Louisiana Civil Code

Examples of usurper in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In one climactic scene, Jane is chased out of the palace by usurpers, and a rival army meets her at the drawbridge. Erin Strecker, IndieWire, 27 June 2024 First emerging as Federer’s potential young usurper, Nadal subsequently became his greatest rival, and eventually the pair developed what seems to be a genuinely deep friendship. Andrew Barker, Variety, 19 June 2024 For instance, though Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth was filmed on a Los Angeles soundstage, the story rather famously takes place in Scotland, which means Denzel’s usurper will not be taking part. Nate Jones, Vulture, 24 Apr. 2024 In the eyes of these veterans, Grace and the G40 faction represent a set of illegitimate usurpers who are conspiring to denigrate the role of the armed forces—in both Zimbabwe’s history and its future. Philip Martin, Foreign Affairs, 17 Nov. 2017 Tyrants rule with absolute power cruelly, oppressively, and illegitimately (usurper). Hazlitt, 10 Apr. 2024 Novo has an oral GLP-1 combo, too Amid all the discussion of potential usurpers to Wegovy’s place in the market for obesity treatments, Novo Nordisk is at work on an oral therapy that might best its own top-selling product. Damian Garde, STAT, 6 Mar. 2024 Using brain power does burn calories, and, in fact, the brain is among the body’s biggest usurpers of caloric energy. Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 26 Feb. 2024 This recognition should include replacing the names of the country’s usurpers who killed the natives, robbed the nation, and supported every and any types of oppression, in public facilities and street names. Holly Jones, Variety, 19 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near usurper

Cite this Entry

“Usurper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/usurper. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.

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