lien

¹ American  

[leen, lee-uhn] / lin, ˈli ən /

noun

1. Law. the legal claim of one person upon the property of another person to secure the payment of a debt or the satisfaction of an obligation.

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lien ² American  

[lahy-uhn, -en] / ˈlaɪ ən, -ɛn /

noun

Anatomy.

1. the spleen.

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lien British  

/ ˈliːən, liːn /

noun

1. law a right to retain possession of another's property pending discharge of a debt

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lien Cultural  

1. A claim or right given to a creditor to secure payment of a debt, usually by sale of the debtor's property.

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Other Word Forms

• lienable adjective
• lienal adjective

Etymology

Origin of lien¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin ligāmen “tie, bandage,” from ligā(re) “to tie” + -men, noun suffix of result; ligament ( def. )

Origin of lien¹

First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin liēn; spleen

Example Sentences

Records show that Curtis paid off a $29,538 lien on the property in early December, more than a year after it was first issued.

From MarketWatch

In Jan. 2024, Saxon placed the $1.8 million “mechanics” lien on the property in order to secure compensation for his work as project manager and construction-related services, according to court filings.

From Los Angeles Times

Justice Department and the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service have called fake liens a form of “paper terrorism.”

From Los Angeles Times

The firm said in a statement that all medical providers had legitimate liens that entitled them to money from the client’s settlement, including McClelland’s.

From Los Angeles Times

This fall, another Delaware-registered company took out a lien on all of Slater’s attorney fees from the county cases, according to an Oct.

From Los Angeles Times