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foreclose

[ fawr-klohz, fohr- ]
/ fɔrˈkloʊz, foʊr- /
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See synonyms for foreclose on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object), fore·closed, fore·clos·ing.
Law.
  1. to deprive (a mortgagor or pledgor) of the right to redeem their property, especially on failure to make payment on a mortgage when due, ownership of property then passing to the mortgagee.
  2. to take away the right to redeem (a mortgage or pledge).
to shut out; exclude; bar.
to hinder or prevent, as from doing something.
to establish an exclusive claim to.
to close, settle, or answer beforehand.
verb (used without object), fore·closed, fore·clos·ing.
to take away the right to redeem a mortgage or pledge.
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Origin of foreclose

First recorded 1250–1300; Middle English foreclosen from Old French forclos, past participle of forclore “to exclude,” equivalent to for- “out” + clore “to shut” (from Latin claudere )

OTHER WORDS FROM foreclose

fore·clos·a·ble, adjectivenon·fore·clos·ing, adjective

Words nearby foreclose

forecastle head, fore-check, forechoir, forecited, fore clipping, foreclose, foreclosure, foreconscious, forecourse, forecourt, foredate
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to foreclose

preclude, expropriate, bar, deprive, prevent, confiscate, dispossess, impound, seize, rule out, shut out

How to use foreclose in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for foreclose

foreclose
/ (fɔːˈkləʊz) /
verb
law to deprive (a mortgagor, etc) of the right to redeem (a mortgage or pledge)
(tr) to shut out; bar
(tr) to prevent or hinder
(tr) to answer or settle (an obligation, promise, etc) in advance
(tr) to make an exclusive claim to

Derived forms of foreclose

foreclosable, adjectiveforeclosure (fɔːˈkləʊʒə), noun

Word Origin for foreclose

C15: from Old French forclore, from for- out + clore to close, from Latin claudere
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
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