foreclosure

American  

[fawr-kloh-zher, fohr-] / fɔrˈkloʊ ʒər, foʊr- /

noun

Law.

1. the act of foreclosing a mortgage or pledge.

---

foreclosure Cultural  

1. A proceeding in which the financer of a mortgage seeks to regain property because the borrower has defaulted on payments.

---

Other Word Forms

• antiforeclosure noun
• nonforeclosure noun

Etymology

Origin of foreclosure

First recorded in 1720–30; foreclose + -ure

Explanation

When a homeowner can't afford to pay her mortgage, she might face foreclosure, which is when a bank repossesses a borrower's house. A bank most often starts foreclosure proceedings against someone who's taken out a loan to buy a house when that person stops making monthly payments. The agreement a borrower makes when she gets a bank mortgage is that she'll pay a certain amount of money every month, and failing to do it means risking foreclosure. The word foreclosure comes from the Latin words fors, "out," and clore "to shut."

Example Sentences

The foreclosure ruined her retirement plans, Acevedo said, adding that the challenges strained her marriage and eventually led to divorce.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

County officials said at the time that the foreclosure sale was too good a deal to pass up.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

The foreclosure process can take months, and your friend needs to be proactive.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 7, 2026

More Americans are falling behind on debt payments, including on some types of mortgages, putting them at risk of foreclosure.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

“Umm...right, so the house went into foreclosure in 2009. That’s a year before he was spotted panhandling in the city.”

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone