garnishment

American  

[gahr-nish-muhnt] / ˈgɑr nɪʃ mənt /

noun

1. Law.

   1. a warning, served on a third party to hold, subject to the court's direction, money or property belonging to a debtor who is being sued by a creditor.

   2. a summons to a third party to appear in litigation pending between a creditor and debtor.

2. adornment or decoration.

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garnishment British  

/ ˈɡɑːnɪʃmənt /

noun

1. the act of garnishing

2. decoration or embellishment; garnish

3. law

   1. a notice or warning

   2. obsolete a summons to court proceedings already in progress

   3. a notice warning a person holding money or property belonging to a debtor whose debt has been attached to hold such property until directed by the court to apply it

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Etymology

Origin of garnishment

First recorded in 1540–50; garnish + -ment

Example Sentences

Pressley has introduced the Ending Administrative Wage Garnishment Act, which would “protect borrowers by ending garnishment as a tool writ large for student debt collection by the federal government, regardless of who’s in office.”

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

Only three million of these debtors, those who are delinquent for nine months or more, would be eligible for wage garnishment.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

The “next phase” of those efforts was garnishment, McMahon told reporters, “and that’s been put on pause,” she said.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 16, 2026

But that will likely change starting in 2026, given the Education Department’s announcement that it’s restarting wage garnishment.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 30, 2025

The following personal property is exempt from seizure or sale on any execution and from attachment or garnishment: 1st.

From How to Collect a Doctor Bill by Davis, Frank P.