encroach
Americanverb (used without object)
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encroaches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
encroached,
past participle, past
-
encroaching
present participle
-
to advance beyond proper, established, or usual limits; make gradual inroads.
A dictatorship of the majority is encroaching on the rights of the individual.
-
to trespass upon the property, domain, or rights of another, especially stealthily or by gradual advances.
verb
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to intrude gradually, stealthily, or insidiously upon the rights, property, etc, of another
-
to advance beyond the usual or proper limits
Synonym Usage
See trespass.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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encroachsimple
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encroachessimple
-
have encroachedperfect
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has encroachedperfect
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am encroachingprogressive
-
are encroachingprogressive
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is encroachingprogressive
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have been encroachingperfect progressive
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has been encroachingperfect progressive
Past
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encroachedsimple
-
had encroachedperfect
-
was encroachingprogressive
-
were encroachingprogressive
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had been encroachingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of encroach
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English encrochen, from Anglo-French encrocher, Old French encrochier “to catch hold of, seize,” equivalent to en- en- 1 + -crochier, verbal derivative of croc “hook,” from Germanic; see crooked, crook 1
Explanation
To encroach is to overstep your bounds, to take over space or rights that belong to another, like your brother whose mess always encroaches on your side of the room you share. The verb encroach comes from the Old French word encrochier, meaning “seize, fasten on, catch with a hook.” If others slowly take over what belongs to you, they encroach, like people who encroach on your personal space at a crowded concert, or someone whose questions get more and more personal, which encroaches on your privacy.
Vocabulary lists containing encroach
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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American Football, 3rd Quarter
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"A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Books occupy a unique place within physical media — one of the last forms that does not track, monitor, or encroach on the humans who read them.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
Car accidents are common in Uganda and incidents involving wildlife and humans are also on the rise, as expanding communities encroach on protected wildlife areas.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
School districts have seen an explosion in special education costs in recent years, forcing them to encroach on their general funds.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2026
They have been a part of the city landscape since the 1930s, when urban sprawl began to encroach on their rural territory.
From Barron's ● Mar. 13, 2026
“We certainly won’t encroach on your territory. We just ate outside of Seattle, anyway,” he laughed.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
In fact across the region mitumba traders and local clothing manufacturers say cheap clothing from China is the real danger as it encroaches on both their markets.
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
It has also begun the construction of a wall that encroaches on Lebanese territory, according to Unifil, the United Nations peacekeeping force.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
Children’s programming has been a growth area for Netflix as it encroaches on the traditional broadcasters’ turf.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2025
Even when they aren't being poached, apes are threatened by habitat loss as human civilization increasingly encroaches on their natural habitats.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2024
Since only 10 percent of thru-hikers make it this far, and it is too distant for most day hikers, the trail in Maine is much more thinly used, and so the foliage encroaches.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
These are overcrowded open-air bazaars with footpaths that are missing or uneven or have been encroached upon by vendors, making it hard to navigate prams or sometimes even walk.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
The meta-reality and meta-commentary of the broadcast encroached on and eventually overtook the game on the field.
From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2026
Such upstart trading platforms have encroached on the turf of established gambling companies by offering “event contracts” on games that are similar to traditional sports bets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025
Although the technology has encroached on people’s everyday lives in small and large ways, this seemed to be a more egregious example of it in housing.
From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2025
The forest encroached on both sides, leaving the road ahead only discernible for a few meters as it twisted, serpentlike, around the ancient trees.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
This 2.5-inch lizard lives exclusively in the West Texas dunes, where oil and gas production has been encroaching on its territory, the groups argued.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
And developers have been encroaching on the peaceful coastal village, but "we're still resisting them", she said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
Gathering it all in one place makes it feel less like its encroaching on your life.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
Keeping the encroaching natural world at bay is a struggle in neighborhoods adjacent to Los Angeles County’s wildlands.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
He dumped his gym bag on the floor and sprawled on Rishi’s chair, his gigantic praying-mantis legs encroaching into Rishi’s space.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
