encroach

[ en-krohch ]

/ ɛnˈkroʊtʃ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR encroach ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object)

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.

Nearby words

Origin of encroach

1275–1325; Middle English encrochen < Anglo-French encrocher, Old French encrochier to catch hold of, seize, equivalent to en- en-¹ + -crochier, verbal derivative of croc hook < Germanic; see crooked, crook¹

SYNONYMS FOR encroach

1, 2 See trespass.

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Related formsen·croach·er, nounun·en·croached, adjectiveun·en·croach·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for encroach

In the east, the Chinese army continues periodically to encroach on Indian territory.
Farewell to Manmohan Singh, India’s Puppet Prime Minister|Kapil Komireddi|January 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Any attempt to encroach on it, even by an iota, will ultimately lead to our enslavement by a federal tyranny.
Gun-Control Foes Misunderstand the Intent of the Second Amendment|Jack Schwartz|December 18, 2012|DAILY BEAST
How does this symbolize constraints on girls and women, and encroach on our right to be simply as we are, at any given moment?
Ashley Judd Slaps Media in the Face for Speculation Over Her ‘Puffy’ Appearance|Ashley Judd|April 9, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He got really mad when they started to encroach on his personal life.
Why Manny Ramirez Hates Fans|Will Doig|March 9, 2009|DAILY BEAST

You must do nothing to encroach upon another's rights, or to interrupt and disturb your companions in their pursuits.
The Teacher|Jacob Abbott
He was suddenly ashamed, humbled, feeling in her love a quality upon which no shameful circumstance could encroach.
Fidelity|Susan Glaspell
Evolution—once a mere germ in the mind—was beginning to press, to encroach, to intermeddle with the mind's other furniture.
Robert Elsmere|Mrs. Humphry Ward
The clergy attempted to encroach upon the privileges of both.
The History of Chivalry|G. P. R. James
Already the sun hung in the zenith, and it was time to begin if the sport were not to encroach upon the dinner hour.
The Doomsman|Van Tassel Sutphen

British Dictionary definitions for encroach

encroach

/ (ɪnˈkrəʊtʃ) /

verb (intr)

(often foll by on or upon) to intrude gradually, stealthily, or insidiously upon the rights, property, etc, of another

to advance beyond the usual or proper limits

Derived Formsencroacher, nounencroachingly, adverbencroachment, noun

Word Origin for encroach

C14: from Old French encrochier to seize, literally: fasten upon with hooks, from en- 1 + croc hook, of Germanic origin; see crook

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for encroach

encroach

early 14c., "acquire, get," from Old French encrochier "seize, fasten on, hang on (to), cling (to); hang up, suspend," literally "to catch with a hook," from en- "in" (see en- (1)) + croc "hook," from Old Norse krokr "hook" (see crook). Meaning "seize wrongfully" is from c.1400. Sense of "trespass" is first recorded 1530s. Related: Encroached; encroaches; encroaching.