encumbrance
Americannoun
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something that encumbers; something burdensome, useless, or superfluous; burden; hindrance.
Poverty was a lifelong encumbrance.
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a dependent person, especially a child.
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Law. a burden or claim on property, as a mortgage.
noun
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a thing that impedes or is burdensome; hindrance
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law a burden or charge upon property, such as a mortgage or lien
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rare a dependent person, esp a child
Etymology
Origin of encumbrance
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English encombraunce, from Middle French encumbrance; encumber, -ance
Explanation
A burden or serious concern is an encumbrance. Your being five feet tall could be an encumbrance when it comes to your dream of playing professional basketball. Something that blocks you from doing what you want to do is an encumbrance, like the rocky soil in your garden that makes it impossible for you to grow tomatoes. A burden or hindrance can also be an encumbrance, the way wearing thick knitted mittens makes it harder for you to dial your cell phone — your mittens are an encumbrance. The word comes from the Latin word incombrare, which means "barricade or obstacle."
Vocabulary lists containing encumbrance
A Separate Peace
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The Awakening
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Seabiscuit
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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.
“Debt is a long-term obligation and an encumbrance on people’s finances.”
From MarketWatch • Jan. 14, 2026
That's why they've now assigned a receiver in order to prevent the transfer, sale or encumbrance of any of those assets.
From Salon • Nov. 6, 2023
He learned to walk again — but only, he wrote, with “15 pounds of leather and steel strapped to my legs,” an encumbrance he would carry for the next four decades.
From New York Times • Oct. 11, 2022
OK — but as a semi-monkish man of routine, what he wanted was domesticity without encumbrance.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2021
“I hope I am aware that they may be too noisy for your father—or even may be some encumbrance to you, if your visiting engagements continue to increase as much as they have done lately.”
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
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.
