1An instance of invading a country or region with an armed force.

1. 1.1 An incursion by a large number of people or things into a place or sphere of activity.
   there was a brief pitch invasion when Sunderland scored

   Example sentencesExamples

   • Celtic's supporters annexed the place for the day, filling every nook and cranny and, on many occasions, succumbing to the temptation to leap the hoardings for good-natured but tiresome pitch invasions.
   • Last week, we looked into some rather amusing cases of animal pitch invasions.
   • Last month, police issued pictures of 26 hooligans they wanted to trace in connection with two pitch invasions during the match.
   • He was later caught up in the pitch invasion as he was carried by celebrating fans.
   • I am doubtful that he will be picked for the upcoming test series against Zimbabwe, where pitch invasions take on a whole new meaning.
   • We like to get into the cooking sherry while we are preparing for the invasion.
   • Rising standards in the Northern Ford Premiership could give York Wasps the edge as they prepare for a French invasion tomorrow.
   • Authorities say all three could be linked to at least 20 similar home invasions here, in the past three months.
   • The final whistle sparked a pitch invasion of ecstatic fans and the Burnley players got off as quickly as they could.
   • England won 2-0, but it was marred by several pitch invasions as well as racist chanting, while violence flared outside the game.
   • Zimbabwe is set to enter a devastating famine because of land invasions and the occupancy of once highly productive commercial farms by so-called war veterans.
   • Streakers and pitch invasions don't go hand-in-hand with the Wetherby Road image.
   • We thought pitch invasions were a thing of the past but this was a defining moment for the Orchard County and the long wait was over.
   • The colour, the noise, the horns and of course the odd pitch invasions, yes you guessed it the Pakistan Cricket team is in town.
   • If A is guilty, then B and the brewers and bakers must have the right to defend themselves against A's actions, and their defensive actions can only consist of physical invasions of A and his property.
   • This was to be the last action of the game as the referee blew the final whistle and the pitch invasion and celebrations got underway.
   • Security has been tightened for today's showpiece final of cricket's NatWest one-day international series, at Lord's, after pitch invasions and firecrackers marred earlier rounds.
   • Although there have been no major outbreaks of violence inside the ground, there have been pitch invasions, the firing of flares and threatening chanting and behaviour aimed at visiting fans.
   • Blackpool are preparing for a green invasion as they take on promotion chasing Plymouth Argyle at Bloomfield Road on Saturday.
   • The invasion prompted a smaller pitch invasion by Preston fans following their team's second goal.

   Synonyms

   influx, inundation, inrush, rush, flood, torrent, deluge, stream, avalanche
2. 1.2 An unwelcome intrusion into another's domain.
   random drug testing of employees is an unwarranted invasion of privacy

   Example sentencesExamples

   • This move was despicable, an invasion of privacy, and a form of stalking, and should be illegal.
   • All these technologies raise serious questions about invasions of privacy and violations of civil liberties.
   • Government officials never attempt to explain how their actions conform to constitutional and legal prohibitions against government invasions of privacy and infringements on free speech and association.
   • I do reserve the right to decline the requests that would constitute an invasion of privacy.
   • Television newsmagazines have regularly broadcast reports of these invasions of privacy.
   • The reason nobody takes action over unjustifiable privacy invasions is because the very taking of such actions would cause further and more intrusive invasions of privacy.
   • One of the more insidious invasions of our privacy rights is the rampant spread of drug tests in the American workplace.
   • I also think Buckley and all the pundits are wrong to even talk about which invasions of privacy are off-limits in politics.
   • He and his wife have fought off invasions into their own privacy by a former nanny (aided by the Mail on Sunday) and into that of baby Leo, born in May.
   • The Pentagon has put out another batch of official photographs of flag-draped coffins and honor guards, having long resisted, claiming invasions of family's privacy.
   • In order to discredit Morgan's exclusive, the 500-plus members of the QLR are being subject to unprecedented invasions of their privacy.
   • So the kind of speech the founders were most keen to protect - explicit political expression about important public policy matters - is slapped down, while invasions of privacy are not.
   • Having said that, she really did so at great risk to herself and she did suffer many invasions of privacy as a result.
   • The video footage was so obviously a gross invasion of privacy and a violation of human dignity.
   • Beneficiaries often have to submit to small scale victimisation and invasions of their privacy if they are to keep their benefit.
   • I'm not sure, but I suspect such a perspective would reveal that steps that in the United States are considered severe and unwarranted invasions of privacy are considered rather routine abroad.
   • Every so-called celebrity who pushes themselves into the public eye and then complains about invasions of privacy would be made to stand in the corner for a long time, until they'd learned their lesson.
   • So what we have here is not just a tax on our identities but an invasion of privacy that should be in direct contravention of the Freedom of Information Act.
   • The Torah speaks of the evil prophet Bilaam praising the Israelites for dwelling arrangements that prevented unwanted intrusions and other invasions of privacy.
   • Perchance there will be questions of invasions of privacy at some later time, since the victims would seem to be identifiable.

   Synonyms

   violation, infringement, interruption, disturbance, disruption, breach, infraction

   intrusion into, encroachment on, trespass on, obtrusion into, interference with