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invade

v.
US //ˌɪnˈveɪd// UK //ɪnvˈeɪd// in·vade
  1. 1 military conquest (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to enter a country or region with an army in order to take control of it.

    to enter a territory by force with an armed military presence, typically for the purpose of occupation or conquest.

    Example

    The army planned to invade the neighbouring country at dawn.

    Example

    Historians still debate the strategic blunders that occurred when the coalition forces decided to invade the mountainous region during the height of winter.

    Usage

    This is a transitive verb and requires a direct object representing the place being entered.
  2. 2 disturbing privacy (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to enter a place or a situation where you are not wanted, or to disturb someone's private life.

    to encroach upon or violate a person's private space, rights, or personal life in an unwelcome manner.

    Example

    I am sorry to invade your privacy, but I really need to talk to you.

    Example

    The celebrity complained that the paparazzi continued to invade her personal space despite her repeated requests for boundaries.

    Usage

    Commonly used with abstract nouns like 'privacy' or 'space'.
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  1. 3 spreading in large numbers (v.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Science

    to enter or spread through a place in large numbers, like insects or a disease.

    to spread through or over a location in large, harmful, or intrusive numbers; often used for pests or biological agents.

    Example

    The garden was invaded by locusts that ate all the crops.

    Example

    The aggressive species of weed began to invade the local wetlands, threatening the delicate balance of the native ecosystem.
Origin

From Latin invādō (“enter, invade”).

Word family

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