usurp en · VERB
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Middle English usurpen, from Old French usurper, from Latin ūsūrpō.
Meanings
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To seize and hold or use (powers, an office, a coat of arms, a right or copyright, etc) from another, without right (usually by illegitimate means).
In this case, you have usurped the copyright owner's reasonably expected right to make a derivative work[.]
2021, Carol Simpson, Sara E. Wolf, Copyright for Schools: A Practical Guide, page 199:[S]o he dies, But soon revives, Death over him no power Shall long usurp […]
1674, John Milton, “Book XII”, in Paradise Lost. […], 2nd edition, London: […] S[amuel] Simmons […], →OCLC, page 326:Most Republicans in Congress are complying as Mr. Trump usurps the power of the national legislature, as laid out in Article 1 of the Constitution.
2025 February 25, Linda Feldmann, “How Trump skirts checks and balances unlike any modern-day US president”, in The Christian Science Monitor:[…] usurped or took any name or title of honor or dignity. In many cases it happened that persons who had usurped arms without authority, entered their names […]
1848, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, page 343:
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To take the place of someone or something else; to supplant.
Jones answered all his questions with much civility, though he never remembered to have seen the petty-fogger before; and though he concluded, from the outward appearance and behaviour of the man, that he usurped a freedom with his betters, to which he was by no means intitled.
1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:But if now / You ſhould (as cruell fathers do) proclame / Your right, and Tyrant like uſurp the glory / Of my peculiar honours, not deriv'd / From ſucceſſary, but purchas'd with my bloud, / Then I muſt ſtand firſt Champion for my ſelfe, / Againſt all interpoſers.
c. 1619–1623, John Ford, “The Lawes of Candy”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act I, scene ii, page 52, column 1:The recent authorities have usefully drawn attention to the need to ensure that any assessment of the merits of a case does not usurp careful attention to the criteria in section 10(9), to which we now turn.
2016, Stephen Gilmore, Lisa Glennon, Hayes and Williams' Family Law, page 484:
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(obsolete) To make use of.
"[…] especially considering that even Matter it self, in which they tumble and wallow, which they feel with their hands and usurp with all their Senses […]"
1653, Henry More, “appendix”, in An Antidote against Atheisme, or An Appeal to the Natural Faculties of the Minde of Man, whether There Be Not a God, London: […] Roger Daniel, […], →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| usurps | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| usurping | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| usurped | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| usurped | Tense=Past | lexicographic |
Deriveds
usurpation · usurpable · reusurp · nonusurping · unusurping · usurpment · unusurped · usurpedly · usurpingly · usurper · usurpious
Relateds
appropriate · raptor · use · utility · ravish · rape
Translations (57)
cmn 篡奪 /篡夺 (seize power) · it usurpare (seize power) · pt usurpar (seize power) · ckb زەوت کردن (seize power) · te అన్యాయముగా ఆక్రమించుకొను (seize power) · cs uchvátit (seize power) · ang āgnettan (seize power) · mk узурпи́ра (seize power) · fi anastaa valta (seize power) · sk uzurpovať (seize power) · is ræna völdum (seize power) · tr gasbetmek (seize power) · sv usurpera (seize power) · es usurpar (seize power) · ar اِسْتَوْلَى (seize power) · eo uzurpi (seize power) · hu bitorol (seize power) · pl uzurpować (seize power) · fr usurper (seize power) · de usurpieren (seize power) · nl usurperen (seize power) · nb usurpere (seize power) · ja 簒奪する (seize power) · uk узурпува́ти (seize power) · is taka yfir (seize power) · bg присвоя́вам си (seize power) · io uzurpar (seize power) · ro uzurpa (seize power) · ru присва́ивать себе́ (seize power) · sv tillskansa sig (seize power) · ro răpi (seize power) · la ūsūrpō (seize power) · is hrifsa völd (seize power) · ca usurpar (seize power) · oc usurpar (seize power) · ko 찬탈하다 (seize power) · da usurpere (seize power) · ga forghabh (seize power) · fi kaapata (seize power) · sv bemäktiga sig (seize power) · mi kōhaki mana (seize power) · nl zich toe-eigenen (seize power) · bg узурпи́рам (seize power) · bg загра́бвам (seize power) · el σφετερίζομαι (seize power) · ru узурпи́ровать (seize power) · ar اِنْتَزَعَ (seize power) · ar اِغْتَصَبَ (seize power) · cs uzurpovat (seize power) · eo akapari (seize power) · yi אוזורפּירן (seize power) · ru присво́ить себе́ (seize power) · ar اِسْتَحْوَذَ (seize power) · be узурпі́раваць (seize power) · gl usurpar (seize power) · sv inkräkta på (seize power) · sl uzurpirati (seize power)