coup d'état
/ku d‿e.ta/
noun
Origin
French
coup — a blow or strike
Overview
Meaning Now
- A sudden, violent, and illegal seizure of power from a government.
Literal older meaning
blow of state
Language path
Old French → French
Earliest form
coup d'état
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
Historically, the term originated in 17th-century France to describe any sudden, decisive action taken by a monarch to maintain or increase state power. It did not necessarily imply a rebellion until later usage during the French Revolution and the 19th century.
Evolution
- Vulgar Latin
colpus
“a blow, strike”
- Old French
colp
“strike, blow”
- 17th-century French
coup d'état
“an extraordinary, often unconstitutional, act by a sovereign”
Initially referred to decisive acts of royal power.
Connections
Word parts
coup
root
blow, strike
d'
other
of
état
root
state
Related across languages
Italian
colpo di stato
coup d'état
Spanish
golpe de estado
coup d'état
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Related to coup d'état
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.