encumbrance C2 Topic:Space, Position & Direction 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... hitchloadburden 2 noun · a legal claim or debt... incumbrance More encumberment ↔ Opposites unencumbrance Word family Forms encumbrances Derived forms disencumbranceencumbranceroverencumbrance Etymology AI details From Middle English encombraunce, from Old French encombrance, from encombrer. encombraunce Middle English encombrance Old French View etymology graph -> Topics Space, Position & Direction External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # 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 - Space, Position & Direction markdown