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

Per property data firm ATTOM, August marked the sixth straight month of year-over-year rising home foreclosure filings. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2025

Burgos, Mamdani's friend, says his plan to freeze the rent will create unintended consequences like foreclosure and abandonment of buildings where the cost of keeping an apartment up to code is more than the legally allowable rent. —Ben Adler, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025

In 2020, Copia Lending provided the loan that ultimately became delinquent and led to the streamlined foreclosure. —George Avalos, Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2025

The former couple finally sold their home one month after the property faced foreclosure and was about to be put up for public auction. —Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1713, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for foreclosure

• nondisclosure
• postexposure
• closure
• crozier
• hosier
• mosher
• 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