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; cf. ligament ( def. )

Origin of lien²

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

Explanation

A lien is a claim against the property of someone who owes money. It's pronounced like "lean," which might also describe your meager finances if a lien has been placed on your home. When someone doesn't make payments on a loan, the bank may put a lien on that person's property, claiming ownership of that property until the overdue payment is received. The word lien derives from the Latin ligāre, which means "to bind," and you can see that "binding," or tying up a person's property, really does put the owner in a "bind."

Example Sentences

The arrears will eventually have to be settled—they are added to the mortgage balance in a junior lien that is repaid once the loan matures, is refinanced or the home is sold.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

If they aren’t paid by the contractor, subcontractors have the right to file a lien, or legal claim against your home.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 2026

Acevedo said she planned to refinance her loan but learned that she couldn’t because the property had a lien from a previous owner.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

It has reduced its exposure to the software industry, and has a first lien on the assets of every borrower.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

The natural course would have been to insist on the lien and to retain the shares.

From Ovington's Bank by Weyman, Stanley J.