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 of garnishment

• ornament
• ornamentation
• decoration
• garnish

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

Wage garnishment can affect your eligibility for certain debt relief options, but not in the way some borrowers may assume. —Matt Richardson, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2026

In most cases, this means the agency can no longer pursue collection actions such as wage garnishment, levies or new liens tied to that specific tax liability. —Nick Perry, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2026

Interest and penalties will accrue, and the IRS can take collections actions, such as wage garnishment or property liens. —Kat Tretina, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2026

This includes wage garnishment, tax refund offsets, Social Security and Disability Payment offsets, and negative credit reporting. —Robert Farrington, Forbes.com, 16 Mar. 2026

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