English Dictionary | Thesaurus | Translator | COBUILD Grammar Patterns | Scrabble | Blog
  • English
  • This page in
    American
    Italiano
    Deutsch
    Español
    Português
    हिंदी
    简体中文
| Sign Up | Log In
 
English
Menu
English Dictionary Thesaurus Translator Grammar Scrabble Blog
  • English
  • This page in
    American
    Italiano
    Deutsch
    Español
    Português
    हिंदी
    简体中文
Sign Up Log In

Definition of 'encroach'

Word Frequency

encroach

(ɪnkroʊtʃ )
Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense encroaches , present participle encroaching , past tense, past participle encroached
1. verb
If one thing encroaches on another, the first thing spreads or becomes stronger, and slowly begins to restrict the power, range, or effectiveness of the second thing.
[formal, disapproval]
I knew that unless work encroached upon my family time, no work could get done. [VERB on/upon noun]
The new institutions do not encroach on political power. [VERB + on/upon]
The movie industry had chosen to ignore the encroaching competition of television. [VERB-ing]
[Also VERB]
2. verb
If something encroaches on a place, it spreads and takes over more and more of that place.
[formal]
The rhododendrons encroached ever more on the twisting drive. [VERB + on]
I turned into the dirt road and followed it through encroaching trees and bushes. [VERB-ing]
[Also V prep/adv, V]
More Synonyms of encroach
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency

encroach in British

(ɪnˈkrəʊtʃ )
verb (intransitive)
1. (often foll by on or upon)
to intrude gradually, stealthily, or insidiously upon the rights, property, etc, of another
2. 
to advance beyond the usual or proper limits
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
encroacher (enˈcroacher)
  noun
encroachingly (enˈcroachingly)
  adverb
encroachment (enˈcroachment)
  noun
Word origin of 'encroach'
C14: from Old French encrochier to seize, literally: fasten upon with hooks, from en-1 + croc hook, of Germanic origin; see crook
Word Frequency

encroach in American

(ɛnˈkroʊtʃ ; enkrōchˈ; ɪnˈkroʊtʃ ; inkrōchˈ)
verb intransitive
1. 
to trespass or intrude (on or upon the rights, property, etc. of another), esp. in a gradual or sneaking way
2. 
to advance beyond the proper, original, or customary limits; make inroads (on or upon)
SIMILAR WORDS:  ˈtrespass
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
encroachment (enˈcroachment)
  noun
Word origin of 'encroach'
ME encrochen < OFr encrochier, to seize upon, take < en-, in + croc, croche, a hook: see crosier

Example sentences containing 'encroach'

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…
Deer which carry ticks are also increasingly encroaching in suburban areas. Times, Sunday Times (2015)This was now encroaching on my territory. Times, Sunday Times (2007)If you are in love, anyone encroaching on your territory will prompt insecurity. Times, Sunday Times (2014)And the sense of some grand, encroaching darkness is at the edge of all these very different poets. Times, Sunday Times (2006)Any other action would have meant encroaching on the territory of others, using means and resources for which he was not qualified. The Times Literary Supplement (2010)

Trends of 'encroach'

Used Occasionally. encroach is one of the 30000 most commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

View usage for:

Translations for 'encroach'

British English: encroach VERB
If one thing encroaches on another, the first thing spreads or becomes stronger, and slowly begins to restrict the power, range, or effectiveness of the second thing.
The new institutions do not encroach on political power.
  • American English: encroach
  • Brazilian Portuguese: usurpar
  • Chinese: 逐步侵犯
  • European Spanish: usurpar
  • French: empiéter
  • German: übergreifen auf
  • Italian: invadere
  • Japanese: >侵害する他人の権利などを
  • Korean: ~을 침해하다
  • European Portuguese: usurpar
  • Spanish: usurpar

Translate your text for free

Nearby words of 'encroach'

  • encrinital
  • encrinite
  • encrinitic
  • encroach
  • encroachment
  • encrust
  • encrustation

  • All ENGLISH words that begin with 'E'

Source

Definition of encroach from the Collins English Dictionary

Be

The verb be is used as an auxiliary verb and it can also be used as a main verb. See Types of main verb. The verb be is irregular. It has eight different forms: be, am, is, are, was, were, being, bee...
Read more about 'Be'
Word of the day:
affogato
a drink prepared by pouring espresso coffee over a scoop of ice cream
See full definition
Apr 20, 2018
Fed up with the great British weather? Here’s how to afford that dream summer escape
From planning early to knowing where to look, these top tips will help you fulfil your summer holiday desires
Read more
The etymology behind 4 eggs-ellent Springtime words
We’ve explored the diverse etymology of 4 eggs-ellent words associated with spring.
Read more
Up Lit, Alexa Laugh & Meet Me at McDonald’s Hair: March’s Words In The News
Catch up on the latest words in the news this March with Robert Groves.
Read more
Join the Collins community
All the latest wordy news, linguistic insights, offers and competitions every month.
Read more
Scrabble score for 'encroach': 15
Latest Word Submissions
Barrecore Apr 18, 2018
wido Apr 18, 2018
centimorgan Apr 17, 2018
gender expansive Apr 16, 2018
Carthritis Apr 15, 2018
Submit View More
Browse the English Dictionary
  • #
  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • N
  • O
  • P
  • Q
  • R
  • S
  • T
  • U
  • V
  • W
  • X
  • Y
  • Z
View all dictionaries...
  • View more
  • API
  • B2B Partnerships
  • Advertising
  • Word Banks
  • Collins COBUILD
  • Collins ELT
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact us
  • Languages
  • English
  • Thesaurus
  • Grammar
  • French
  • German
  • Spanish
  • Italian
  • Chinese
  • Portuguese
  • Hindi
  • Word Lists
  • Word of the Year
  • Scrabble
  • COBUILD Anniversary
© Collins 2018