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

But when child support is set through a court order or a child-support agency, there are legal avenues to address missed payments, including wage garnishment.

From MarketWatch • May 16, 2026

“That garnishment actually pushed me below minimum wage. How was that legal?”

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

Borrowers’ ability to leave garnishment quickly suggests that they do have money available to pay monthly; they just didn’t know how to organize lower monthly payments, such as those available through income-driven plans.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

Wage garnishment typically begins after borrowers have missed payments for 270 days.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

This evening he had spent his last rupee in buying sweetmeats as garnishment for the meal.

From Barclay of the Guides by Strang, Herbert