foreclosure

noun

fore·​clo·​sure (ˌ)fȯr-ˈklō-zhər 

: an act or instance of foreclosing

specifically : a legal proceeding that bars or extinguishes a mortgagor's right of redeeming a mortgaged estate

Examples of foreclosure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Texas residents in the ZIP code 77327, located in rural Liberty County northeast of Houston, had the nation's highest number of foreclosures in a recent six-year period, with 8,189. — Jared Kofsky, ABC News, 23 July 2026

Goodtime, originally with celebrity backing from musician Pharrell Williams and entertainment mogul David Grutman, was auctioned off by lenders in a foreclosure action earlier this year. — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026

This can put them at risk for foreclosure if payments are missed. — Brian Lawton, The Conversation, 22 July 2026

For a building worth tens of millions of dollars, the revenue generated by a foreclosure sale could range into the hundreds of thousands. — Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 19 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1713, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for foreclosure

• nondisclosure
• postexposure
• closure
• crozier
• mosher
• osier
• composure
• cynosure
• disclosure
• enclosure
• exposure
• inclosure

Legal Definition

foreclosure

noun

fore·​clos·​ure fōr-ˈklō-zhər 

1

: a legal proceeding that bars or extinguishes a mortgagor's equity of redemption in mortgaged real property see also deficiency judgment at judgment, redeem, right of redemption, statutory foreclosure, strict foreclosure sense 1

2

: the extinguishment (as under the provisions of Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code) of the rights of a debtor in personal property subject to a security interest by judicial proceedings and especially by judicial sale see also strict foreclosure sense 2