The coup d'état
Example: The coup d'état changed the country's government overnight.
Definition
"The coup d'état" is a sudden and decisive action in politics, where a small group forcibly overthrows an existing government, often replacing it with a new regime without the consent of the broader population. For example, "The coup d'état changed the country's government overnight."
Etymology
"The coup d'état" comes from French, where 'coup' means 'blow' or 'strike' and 'd'état' means 'of state.' Together, it literally means a 'blow against the state.' This term was adopted into English to describe swift, illegal seizures of power. Did you know? The phrase entered English usage in the early 19th century, reflecting the frequent political upheavals in France at that time.
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"The coup d'état" appears in the Vocaplus list "English - History - (B2) - set 1", containing 210 commonly used words.
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