invade Meaning, Definition & Usage

verb march aggressively into another's territory by military force for the purposes of conquest and occupation
occupy.
- Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939
verb to intrude upon, infringe, encroach on, violate
intrude on; obtrude upon; encroach upon.
- This new colleague invades my territory
- The neighbors intrude on your privacy
verb occupy in large numbers or live on a host
infest; overrun.
- the Kudzu plant infests much of the South and is spreading to the North
verb penetrate or assault, in a harmful or injurious way
- The cancer had invaded her lungs

L. invadere, invasum; pref. in- in + vadere to go, akin to E. wade: cf. OF. invader, F. envahir. See Wade.

imperfect & past participle Invaded; present participle & verbal noun Invading

To go into or upon; to pass within the confines of; to enter; -- used of forcible or rude ingress. Obs.
Which becomes a body, and doth then invade The state of life, out of the grisly shade. Spenser.
To enter with hostile intentions; to enter with a view to conquest or plunder; to make an irruption into; to attack; as, the Romans invaded Great Britain.
Such an enemy Is risen to invade us. Milton.
To attack; to infringe; to encroach on; to violate; as, the king invaded the rights of the people.
To grow or spread over; to affect injuriously and progressively; as, gangrene invades healthy tissue. Syn. -- To attack; assail; encroach upon. See Attack.