usurped

American

[yoo-surpt, -zurpt] / yuˈsɜrpt, -ˈzɜrpt /

adjective

seized by force or without legal right.

When Edward IV deposed Henry VI, some saw it as a providential restoration of the usurped throne to the lawful heirs of Richard II.
deprived of something forcibly or without legal right.

The peasants and other members of the usurped communities have been forced to work as peons in the land that previously belonged to them.
used or employed without authority or right; used wrongfully.

Exploitation of usurped or counterfeited web content is punishable by criminal law.

verb

the simple past tense and past participle of usurp.

Other Word Forms

unusurped adjective

Etymology

Origin of usurped

usurp ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Ultimately, society’s ingrained fear of missing out on making money will be usurped by the fear of losing money.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

The later stages of the show highlight a few transitional designers whose work either shaped or anticipated the Midcentury Modernist movement that usurped Art Deco.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

The first of Shakespeare's history plays, Richard II sees the unlikeable and corrupt king be usurped by his cousin Henry Bolingbroke who goes on to become Henry IV.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2025

But the mothering role has been usurped by Roman’s mother, Tara, with whom the couple lives in Adamsville, N.Y., a small town undergoing a post-COVID gentrification.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 18, 2024

And then chaos usurped with his animal junto.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023