ppl. a. [f. USURP v. + -ED1.]
1. Seized, obtained, held, etc., by usurpation or force; possessed unjustly or illegally; arrogated wrongfully.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxi. (Eugenia), 135. Sen vsurpyt pouste has mad me ȝoure lady be.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 158. No vengable herte shal … Extort power nor fals usurpyd myhte.
1477. Rolls of Parlt., VI. 191/1. A pretensed Parlement … by usurped auctorite summoned … by your Rebell and Enemye.
1504. Atkynson, trans. De Imitatione, I. xxiv. 175. Than shalbe more allowable a constaunt pacience than all vsurped power.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. V., 34 b. Gregory … did put doune hymself of his owne propre mocion from his foolishe usurped name and Popishe dignitee.
1569. T. Knell, Epit. Boner, A iiij. Sus taught Mineruam there to long, which held vsurped place.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. iii. 47. That from the Danishe Tyrants head shall rend Th’ vsurped crowne.
1629. Milton, Hymn Nativity, xviii. Th’ old Dragon under ground … Not half so far casts his usurped sway.
1672. South, Serm. (1717), V. 294. A Nation under an usurped Government.
1746. Ld. Hardwicke, in Harris, Life (1847), II. 305. This usurped power was audaciously made use of.
1759. Sterne, Tr. Shandy, I. xviii. The many other usurped rights which … the constitution was hourly establishing.
1831. G. P. R. James, Phil. Augustus, I. xi. The resistance he meditated to the usurped authority of the pope.
1861. Paley, Aeschylus, Agam. (ed. 2), 1447, note. That the … usurped female authority over them, is intolerable to bear.
fig. 1781. Cowper, Conversat., 462. Yet fashion, leader of a chatt’ring train,… Holds an usurp’d dominion o’er his tongue.
b. Marked or characterized by usurpation.
1430–40. Lydg., Bochas, I. 2990. In ther fals vsurped tirannye To holde peeplis in long subieccioun.
1461. Rolls of Parlt., V. 467/2. The usurped reigne of the same Henry. Ibid. (1464), 511/2. The same Humfrey … traiterously adhered unto the seid Henry…, and in his fals and usurped quarell,… toke hoole and full parte.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxii. § 13. His vsurped actions haue in him the same nature.
1772. Goldsm., Hist. Eng., I. 216. Henry was now resolved … to dispute … Stephen’s usurped pretensions.
c. 1860. Fullarton’s Gaz. Scotl., I. 135/1. During the usurped and military possession of Scotland by Edward I. of England, there was on the south-east side of the town of Ayr, an encampment or temporary barrack of a portion of his forces.
† 2. Of persons: Holding office, exercising authority, by virtue of usurpation. Obs.
1569. L. Avale (title), A Commemoration or Dirige of Bastarde Edmonde Boner,… vsurped Bisshoppe of London.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., 84. Another revolution, to get rid of this illegitimate and usurped government.
† 3. Used or employed without due justification or warrant; appropriated, borrowed. Obs. rare.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. V., 34 b. Gregory the .xij. … did put doune hymself … from his foolishe usurped name.
1611. Shaks., Twel. N., V. i. 257. Vio[la]. This my masculine vsurp’d attyre.
1673. J. Faldo, Quakerism, Title-p., A Key, for the understanding their sense of their many usurped and unintelligible words and phrases.
† b. False, counterfeit. Obs. rare–1.
1604. Shaks., Oth., I. iii. 346. Come, be a man:… follow thou the Warres, defeate thy fauour, with an vsurp’d Beard.
Hence Usurpedly adv.
1545. Brinklow, Compl., 47 b. His accustomyd pollagys, which vsurpedly he had out of this reame.
1556. J. Heywood, Spider & Fly, lxv. Ee ij. This spider hath vsurpedlie growne To potentate state.
1647. Lilburne & Overton, Out-cryes Oppr. Commons, 1. The Lords … now sitting at Westminster, who have usurpedly … assumed … a power in criminall causes.
