encumbrance

C2 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ɪnˈkʌm.bɹəns/ See IPA manual

Freq #90725

Meanings

1

noun
Something that weighs you down or gets in your way; a burden.

He travelled light, seeing extra luggage as an unnecessary encumbrance.
2

noun
A legal claim or debt attached to property, such as a mortgage.

The lawyer checked that the house was sold free of any encumbrance.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · something that weighs you... hitch load burden

2 noun · a legal claim or debt... incumbrance

More encumberment

Opposites

unencumbrance

Word family

Forms encumbrances

Derived forms disencumbranceencumbranceroverencumbrance

Etymology

From Middle English encombraunce, from Old French encombrance, from encombrer.

encombraunce Middle English encombrance Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas

External links

# encumbrance

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈkʌm.bɹəns/
**Frequency rank:** 90725

## Meanings
1. Something that weighs you down or gets in your way; a burden.
2. A legal claim or debt attached to property, such as a mortgage.

## Examples
- He travelled light, seeing extra luggage as an unnecessary encumbrance.
- The lawyer checked that the house was sold free of any encumbrance.

## Synonyms
- encumberment

## Antonyms
- unencumbrance

## Derived Forms
- disencumbrance
- encumbrancer
- overencumbrance

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: encombraunce
- Root: encombrance

## Etymology
From Middle English encombraunce, from Old French encombrance, from encombrer.

## AI Etymology
Encumbrance is from Middle English encombraunce, from Old French encombrance, from encombrer. In present-day use, it can mean something that weighs you down or gets in your way; a burden, or a legal claim or debt attached to property, such as a mortgage. Derived formations include disencumbrance, encumbrancer, and overencumbrance.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

markdown