coup
Meaning
A coup is a sudden, often violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government, typically executed by a small group, such as military leaders or political factions, aiming to overthrow the existing authority and establish a new regime.
💡 The term "coup" is often misused to describe any political upheaval; however, it specifically refers to the illegitimate overthrow of a government, distinguishing it from revolutions or reforms that may involve broader public participation.
Example Sentences
Word in Context
The
small
gallery
had
long
struggled
to
attract
visitors
,
relying
on
local
artists
and
modest
exhibitions
.
After
months
of
careful
negotiation
,
the
curator
announced
a
surprising
coup
:
they
had
secured
a
loan
of
a
well
-
known
contemporary
sculpture
for
the
upcoming
show
.
The
piece's
presence
immediately
changed
the
mood
in
the
space
,
drawing
attention
from
critics
and
encouraging
a
more
diverse
audience
to
attend
.
Staff
reorganized
the
layout
to
emphasize
the
sculpture
,
and
the
publicity
that
followed
significantly
improved
the
gallery's
reputation
.
It
was
a
quiet
but
decisive
success
that
reassured
the
team
their
patient
approach
to
programming
could
yield
unexpected
rewards
.
Common Phrases
military coup
coup d'état
bloodless coup
Synonyms
Related Words
Never forget "coup"
Set a daily goal, reinforce with word cards and games, and track your progress in the Vocab5000 app — learn every C1 level word permanently with our science-based repetition system.
