garnishment

noun

gar·​nish·​ment ˈgär-nish-mənt 

1

: ornament, garnish

2

: a legal summons or warning concerning the attachment of property to satisfy a debt

3

: a stoppage of a specified sum from wages to satisfy a creditor or a legal obligation (such as child support)

Synonyms

• adornment
• beautifier
• caparison
• decoration
• doodad
• embellisher
• embellishment
• frill
• garnish
• garniture
• ornament
• ornamentation
• setoff
• trim

Examples of garnishment in a Sentence

a high-end caterer whose dishes feature an array of over-the-top garnishments

Recent Examples on the Web

Many people don't realize, though, that depositing a paper Social Security check into a bank account won't protect you in cases of debt collection and garnishment. —Susan Tompor, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2025

Wage garnishment had been suspended under emergency relief measures that began in March 2020. —Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025

This could impact borrowers' financial standing before garnishment even begins. —Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025

Borrowers can avoid wage garnishment by entering into a rehabilitation agreement or consolidating their defaulted loans. —Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

(sense 1) garnish entry 1 + -ment; (senses 2 & 3) borrowed from Anglo-French garnissement "warning, notification, notification concerning the attachment of property to satisfy a debt," from garniss-, stem of garnir "to give notice, warn, give legal summons" + -ment -ment — more at garnish entry 1

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Legal Definition

garnishment

noun

gar·​nish·​ment ˈgär-nish-mənt 

: a remedial device used by a creditor to have property of the debtor or money owed to the debtor that is in the possession of a third party attached to pay the debt to the creditor

specifically : attachment of the debtor's wages to satisfy a judgment compare wage assignment at assignment