foreclosure

noun

fore·​clo·​sure (ˌ)fȯr-ˈklō-zhər How to pronounce foreclosure (audio)
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Telegraph reported that Pickett paid off overdue property taxes earlier this year, avoiding a foreclosure sale, and Pickett told the committee that there is a pending appeal over the property’s higher assessment value from 2023. Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2025 For American farmers who export their harvests directly to Asia, the evaporation of Chinese demand for soybeans -- at a time when fertilizer and other inputs have become more expensive -- could potentially be devastating, and lead to bankruptcies and foreclosures. Matt Rivers, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2025 The building has been in foreclosure since spring 2024. Thomas Gounley, Denver Post, 27 Sep. 2025 Two of the three components of the Little Rock apartment complex are in foreclosure proceedings because two limited partnerships tied to the housing authority and its affiliated nonprofit owe more than $5 million because of loans issued in 2019. Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for foreclosure

Word History

First Known Use

1713, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of foreclosure was in 1713

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Foreclosure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foreclosure. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

Legal Definition

foreclosure

noun
fore·​clos·​ure fōr-ˈklō-zhər How to pronounce foreclosure (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on foreclosure

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!