PoliticsSeptember 3, 2026
usurped
yoo-ZERPT
Definition
To take over or exercise power, authority, or a role unlawfully, by force, or without right.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'usurpare,' meaning to seize for one's own use. It entered Middle English through Old French, maintaining the sense of taking something by force or without legal justification.
In the news
In the article, the judge ruled that the USPS rule unlawfully usurped the states' constitutional power to regulate their own elections. This highlights the core legal conflict over who has the authority to manage the ballot process.
DOJ asks Supreme Court to allow Trump’s USPS action on mail-in ballots to proceed ahead of midterm elections
Read the full article ↗NBC News