lien

noun

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\ ˈlēn

, ˈlē-ən

Definition of lien

1 : a charge upon real or personal property for the satisfaction of some debt or duty ordinarily arising by operation of law The bank had a lien on our house.

2 : the security interest created by a mortgage the lien of a mortgage

Examples of lien in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Cuyahoga County in May 2020 filed a lien on the hotel for more than $36,000 in unpaid taxes. — Eric Heisig, cleveland, 2 June 2021 To finance the transaction, E2open secured $300 million through a PIPE, or private investment in public equity, and a $380 million add-on to an existing first-lien term loan. — Jennifer Smith, WSJ, 27 May 2021 The bidder may bid in excess of the tax due to secure the lien. — al, 14 Apr. 2021 Carr Construction has also attempting to foreclosure on its lien. — oregonlive, 7 Apr. 2021 For example, if the lender wanted the loan to value ratio to remain below 75%, a PACE lien could provide part of that financing, with the mortgage amount reduced accordingly. — Joshua Stein, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2021 Certain states require hospitals to bill accident victims’ health plans rather than using a lien. — New York Times, 1 Feb. 2021 The company is also marketing $1 billion of second-lien notes, which have a more junior claim on its assets, at a yield between 7% and 7.25%, the people said. — Davide Scigliuzzo, Bloomberg.com, 19 Nov. 2020 The legislation includes some provisions for property owners with 10 or fewer units, including a ban on foreclosure and tax-lien sales for those facing hardship due to the pandemic. — Kate King, WSJ, 29 Dec. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lien.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

10 Jun 2021

Cite this Entry

“Lien.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lien. Accessed 20 Jun. 2021.

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More Definitions for lien

lien

noun

English Language Learners Definition of lien

law : a legal claim that someone or something has on the property of another person until a debt has been paid back

See the full definition for lien in the English Language Learners Dictionary

lien

noun

li·en | \ ˈlī-ən, ˈlī-ˌen

Medical Definition of lien

: spleen

lien

noun

\ ˈlēn

Legal Definition of lien

: a charge or encumbrance upon property for the satisfaction of a debt or other duty that is created by agreement of the parties or especially by operation of law specifically : a security interest created especially by a mortgage

— assessment lien

: a lien that is on property benefiting from an improvement made by a municipality and that secures payment of the taxes assessed to pay for the improvement

— attachment lien

: a lien acquired on property by a creditor upon levy of an attachment

— carrier's lien

: a lien against freight conferring on the carrier the right to retain the property until the amount due is paid

— charging lien

: a lien attaching to a judgment or recovery awarded to a plaintiff and securing payment of the plaintiff's attorney's fees and expenses

— called also special lien

— choate lien

: a lien that requires no further action to be made enforceable and that identifies the lienor, the property subject to the lien, and the amount of the lien

— common-law lien

: a lien under common law giving a creditor (as a bailee) in possession of property the right to retain possession until payment of the amount due

— equitable lien

: a lien against property that does not require possession of the property and that is available in equity to prevent unjust enrichment

— factor's lien

: a lien against property held on consignment by a factor conferring the right to retain possession of the property until payment of the amount due

Note: A factor's lien is simply a security interest and, unlike a common-law lien, is enforceable even after the factor is no longer in possession of the property.

— first lien

: a lien taking precedence over all other claims, charges, or encumbrances of the same general category but not necessarily over those (as taxes) imposed by government sanction

— floating lien

: a lien created in a security agreement against property owned by the debtor at the time of the agreement's creation as well as property acquired after the agreement's creation

— general lien

1 : a lien that is for the satisfaction of a balance due from an owner of property and that is not confined to the amount due in respect to the property itself

2 : retaining lien in this entry

— inchoate lien

: a lien for which some procedure remains unfinished or some term remains undetermined

— involuntary lien

: a lien that arises other than by the debtor's consent (as by operation of law)

— judgment lien

: a lien acquired against the property of a debtor by a creditor upon obtaining a favorable judgment

— judicial lien

: a lien obtained by a legal or equitable process (as judgment, levy, attachment, or execution)

— junior lien

: a lien that is lower in priority relative to other liens

— landlord's lien

: a lien against the goods and valuables of a tenant to secure payment of rent or sometimes repayment of money otherwise owed to a landlord

— maritime lien

: a lien arising under maritime law against a ship or its cargo (as for services or supplies tendered or for damages caused by a collision) which may be enforced by a court-ordered seizure of the property in order to satisfy the obligation

— materialman's lien \ mə-ˈtir-ē-əl-mənz- \

: a lien on property for materials supplied

— mechanic's lien

: a lien against a building and its site to assure priority of payment for labor or services (as construction and sometimes design) or material

— retaining lien

: a lien that attaches to the papers or property of a client which have come into his or her attorney's possession in the course of employment and that secures payment of the attorney's fees

— called also general lien

— senior lien

: a lien that is higher in priority relative to other liens

— special lien

1 : an equitable lien enforceable to compel performance of an obligation (as under a divorce settlement)

2 : charging lien in this entry

— specific lien

: a lien upon specific property as security for the payment of a debt or the satisfaction of some other obligation arising out of a transaction or agreement involving that property — compare general lien in this entry

— statutory lien

: a lien imposed by statute

— tax lien

: a statutory lien on property for taxes due giving the taxing authority a security interest in the property — compare tax sale at sale

— vendor's lien

: a lien on especially real property securing payment in full of the purchase price by the buyer

— voluntary lien

: a lien created (as by contract) with the consent of the debtor