Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1300-1400
Language: Old French
Origin: usurper, from Latin usurpare 'to take something by using it', from usus ( USE1) + rapere 'to seize'

usurp

 verb
     
u‧surp [transitive]
formal to take someone else's power, position, job etc when you do not have the right to:
There were a couple of attempts to usurp the young king.
—usurper noun [countable]
—usurpation noun [uncountable]
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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