To remove forcibly from power, especially a government or authority figure. As a noun, refers to the act of deposing or the complete defeat of an established system.
From Old English 'oferþrowan', combining 'ofer' (over) + 'þrowan' (to throw). The political sense developed from the literal meaning of throwing something down or across.
The word 'overthrow' perfectly captures the violent, upward motion of revolution - you're literally throwing the existing order 'over' and away, which is why it's used for everything from governments to baseball errors!
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