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The history behind encroach is likely to hook you in. The word derives from the Middle English encrochen, which means "to get or seize." The Anglo-French predecessor of encrochen is encrocher, which was formed by combining the prefix en- ("in") with the noun croche ("hook"). Croche also gave us our word crochet, in reference to the hooked needle used in that craft. Encroach carries the meaning of "intrude," both in terms of privilege or property. The word can also hop over legal barriers to describe a general advancement beyond desirable or normal limits (such as a hurricane that encroaches on the mainland).
Examples of encroach in a Sentence
Ella Nilsen, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
Nature encroaches, seemingly stronger than mere muscle and faith.
—Imani Perry, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
In February 2023, the company filed a lawsuit alleging that her home encroached on its land.
—Melissa Noel, Essence, 27 Mar. 2024
The encroaching tyranny that has engulfed our once, relatively, free society comes from the Democratic Party.
—Elizabeth Stauffer, Washington Examiner, 12 Jan. 2024
But that disclaimer, its phrasing right out of the career politician’s playbook, also distills one of the book’s core tensions: Politics, in the memoir, encroaches on everything else.
—Megan Garber, The Atlantic, 19 Mar. 2024
That’s powerful stuff when we are confronted on a daily basis with the reality of living in a nation encroached upon by forces as evil as the King of Hybern.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Feb. 2024
Advocates of the zoning restrictions said the rules are necessary to preserve local habitats and prevent data center development from encroaching on the area.
—Danny Nguyen, Washington Post, 14 Dec. 2023
The state wouldn’t be encroaching on anyone’s freedom.
—Kathryn Anne Edwards, The Mercury News, 29 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'encroach.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Encroach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/encroach. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
encroach
intransitive verb
Anglo-French encrocher, probably alteration of acrocher to catch hold of, seize, usurp, from Old French, from a-, prefix stressing goal + croc hook
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