encroach
Americanverb (used without object)
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to advance beyond proper, established, or usual limits; make gradual inroads.
A dictatorship of the majority is encroaching on the rights of the individual.
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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
Related Words
See trespass.
Other Word Forms
- encroacher noun
- encroachingly adverb
- encroachment noun
- unencroached adjective
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; crooked, crook 1
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.
Over recent years, large dunes have started encroaching on the land in the village, while rolling desert sands have forced residents to shift further downhill, local pensioner Kakabai Baimedov told AFP.
From Barron's
The theater can and should be a sanctuary from the technology that is encroaching on what distinguishes us as human beings — our capacity to contemplate ourselves and others feelingly.
From Los Angeles Times
It also said that Greenpeace attempted to deprive the project of funding by falsely claiming the pipeline would encroach on tribal land.
The strategy also comes with diplomatic risks, because the attacks widen the theater of conflict and encroach on marine territory and assets belonging to third countries.
Since then, prediction markets have begun offering sports wagers, encroaching on the turf of traditional sportsbooks and prompting court battles with state gambling regulators, The Wall Street Journal has previously reported.
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.
