usurp • yoo-SERP • verb
: to seize and hold by force or without right
Example Sentence: In her first managerial position, Hannah was hesitant to delegate critical tasks for fear that a subordinate might usurp her position. Did you know? "Usurp" was borrowed into English in the 14th century from the Anglo-French word "usorper," which in turn derives from the Latin verb "usurpare," meaning "to take possession of without a legal claim." "Usurpare" itself was formed by combining "usu" (a form of "usus," meaning "use" wink and "rapere" ("to seize" wink . Other descendants of "rapere" in English include "rapacious" ("given to seizing or extorting what is coveted" wink , "rapine" ("the seizing and carrying away of things by force" wink , "rapt" (the earliest sense of which is "lifted up and carried away" wink , and "ravish" ("to seize and take away by violence" wink .
band_geek3000 · Tue Sep 09, 2008 @ 05:19am · 0 Comments |