lien

¹ American  

[leen, lee-uhn] / lin, ˈli ən /

noun

1. Law. the legal claim of one person upon the property of another person to secure the payment of a debt or the satisfaction of an obligation.

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lien ² American  

[lahy-uhn, -en] / ˈlaɪ ən, -ɛn /

noun

Anatomy.

1. the spleen.

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lien British  

/ ˈliːən, liːn /

noun

1. law a right to retain possession of another's property pending discharge of a debt

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lien Cultural  

1. A claim or right given to a creditor to secure payment of a debt, usually by sale of the debtor's property.

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Other Word Forms

• lienable adjective
• lienal adjective

Etymology

Origin of lien¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin ligāmen “tie, bandage,” from ligā(re) “to tie” + -men, noun suffix of result; ligament ( def. )

Origin of lien²

First recorded in 1645–55; from Latin liēn; spleen

Example Sentences

The two discussed several properties, including whether they had any liens and whether the two could get physical access to them.

From Los Angeles Times

Records show that Curtis paid off a $29,538 lien on the property in early December, more than a year after it was first issued.

From MarketWatch

In Jan. 2024, Saxon placed the $1.8 million “mechanics” lien on the property in order to secure compensation for his work as project manager and construction-related services, according to court filings.

From Los Angeles Times

Justice Department and the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service have called fake liens a form of “paper terrorism.”

From Los Angeles Times

The firm said in a statement that all medical providers had legitimate liens that entitled them to money from the client’s settlement, including McClelland’s.

From Los Angeles Times