Coup d'état

Intermediate 🏛️ Government / Politics

Definition

A sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government, typically abbreviated to 'coup.'

Example Usage

The military staged a coup d'état, removing the democratically elected president.

Origin

From French 'coup d'état' (stroke of state), used since the 1600s

Fun Fact

Between 1950 and 2020, there were approximately 250 attempted coups worldwide, with about 25% succeeding.

Source: Political conflict terminology

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