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 lien²

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

Example Sentences

It has reduced its exposure to the software industry, and has a first lien on the assets of every borrower.

From Barron's

The Iranian government requires bonds from athletes who travel abroad, often totaling thousands of dollars and sometimes including liens on houses, according to Iranian rights groups.

From The Wall Street Journal

My letter and the withdrawal notice were never formally filed, yet the withdrawal was suddenly granted and a $240,000 lien was placed on my case.

From MarketWatch

Before any remaining funds can be paid to your friend, all liens — second mortgages, home-equity lines of credit and any other judgments — must be satisfied from whatever is left over.

From MarketWatch

Still, Fitch asserted that losses remained contained despite record-high defaults, writing that “realized losses for first lien lenders remained limited.”

From Barron's