FreeVocabulary
Usurp
/juːˈsɜːrp/ verb mediumTo seize power, a position, or a right without legal authority or permission.
The general usurped the throne while the king was away at war.
Memory Trick
Usurp comes from Latin roots meaning to seize by use, sharing its 'seize' idea with 'rapacious' -- picture someone simply grabbing a position that was never theirs to take.