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

The home had been through foreclosure and hard use, and parts of it had been stripped. —David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 30 May 2026

It had been shuttered for years when the latest owner, Qin Han Chen, bought it out of foreclosure in 2012. —Assistant Editor, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2026

Both Jacobson and Dillabough see plenty of upside with The Fay, which opened with great fanfare in 2024 but ran into financial woes in 2025 that eventually led to the foreclosure. —George Avalos, Mercury News, 28 May 2026

The Charlotte Business Journal first reported the foreclosure and property transfer. —Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 27 May 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