intrusion
noun
Intrusion — an entrance forced upon a space without welcome or permission
Definition
Entrance by force or without permission or welcome
In depth
An intrusion is entrance achieved by force or without permission or welcome, the act of imposing oneself or something else into a space, conversation, or domain where it was neither invited nor wanted. The word carries an inherent sense of violation, however minor, marking a boundary that should not have been crossed.
Origin
The word descends from Latin intrudere, to thrust in, formed from in- (into) and trudere (to push or thrust). That underlying image of forceful pushing distinguishes intrusion from milder words for entering, emphasizing that whatever has entered did so by overcoming resistance, whether physical, social, or emotional.
Usage examples
"The journalist's questions felt like an intrusion into a grief that was clearly still raw."
"Even well-meant advice can register as an intrusion when it arrives uninvited."
"The break-in left her with a lasting sense of intrusion that no amount of new locks ever fully resolved."
How to use it
Intrusion is widely useful across personal, legal, and journalistic writing, particularly powerful for describing emotional or psychological boundary violations as readily as literal physical trespass. It carries a more personal, often relational charge than the more military 'incursion.'
Related concepts
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