encroach
Americanverb (used without object)
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to advance beyond proper, established, or usual limits; make gradual inroads.
A dictatorship of the majority is encroaching on the rights of the individual.
-
to trespass upon the property, domain, or rights of another, especially stealthily or by gradual advances.
verb
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to intrude gradually, stealthily, or insidiously upon the rights, property, etc, of another
-
to advance beyond the usual or proper limits
Synonym Usage
See trespass.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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encroachsimple
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encroachessimple
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have encroachedperfect
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has encroachedperfect
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am encroachingprogressive
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are encroachingprogressive
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is encroachingprogressive
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have been encroachingperfect progressive
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has been encroachingperfect progressive
Past
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encroachedsimple
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had encroachedperfect
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was encroachingprogressive
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were encroachingprogressive
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had been encroachingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of encroach
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English encrochen, from Anglo-French encrocher, Old French encrochier “to catch hold of, seize,” equivalent to en- en- 1 + -crochier, verbal derivative of croc “hook,” from Germanic; see crooked, crook 1
Explanation
To encroach is to overstep your bounds, to take over space or rights that belong to another, like your brother whose mess always encroaches on your side of the room you share. The verb encroach comes from the Old French word encrochier, meaning “seize, fasten on, catch with a hook.” If others slowly take over what belongs to you, they encroach, like people who encroach on your personal space at a crowded concert, or someone whose questions get more and more personal, which encroaches on your privacy.
Vocabulary lists containing encroach
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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American Football, 3rd Quarter
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"A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Books occupy a unique place within physical media — one of the last forms that does not track, monitor, or encroach on the humans who read them.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
She initially welcomed the project, before realising the airport would encroach on her land.
From Barron's ● May 18, 2026
The announcement on Feb. 24 sparked investor fears that AI could encroach on capabilities the cyber industry spent years developing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 2026
In recent years, there has been an uptick in bears wandering into foothill neighborhoods as humans continue to encroach on bear territory.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026
Ivy held prior place in this lost garden, the long strands crept across the lawns, and soon would encroach upon the house itself.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
In fact across the region mitumba traders and local clothing manufacturers say cheap clothing from China is the real danger as it encroaches on both their markets.
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
It also has begun the construction of a wall that encroaches on Lebanese territory, according to Unifil, the United Nations peacekeeping force.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 23, 2025
Her plan also encroaches on land owned by the Catholic Archdiocese, which is reserving it for fexpansion of Holy Cross Cemetery.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2025
Even when they aren't being poached, apes are threatened by habitat loss as human civilization increasingly encroaches on their natural habitats.
From Salon ● Feb. 28, 2024
Since only 10 percent of thru-hikers make it this far, and it is too distant for most day hikers, the trail in Maine is much more thinly used, and so the foliage encroaches.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
The meta-reality and meta-commentary of the broadcast encroached on and eventually overtook the game on the field.
From Salon ● Apr. 13, 2026
At the time, Lord Rennard apologised if he had "inadvertently encroached" upon "personal space".
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026
Such upstart trading platforms have encroached on the turf of established gambling companies by offering “event contracts” on games that are similar to traditional sports bets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2025
Although the technology has encroached on people’s everyday lives in small and large ways, this seemed to be a more egregious example of it in housing.
From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2025
Moss encroached upon the raised letters and I didn’t read the whole plaque.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
This 2.5-inch lizard lives exclusively in the West Texas dunes, where oil and gas production has been encroaching on its territory, the groups argued.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
Now, with a nod from regulators, cryptocurrency firms are encroaching on that territory, and investors in the operators’ stock are worried.
From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026
It’s about territory, and one side is encroaching on the other’s home turf.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026
The phrase was used to help describe the game's tense atmosphere, born from its fixed camera angles, forever encroaching zombies and a limited supply of ammunition to shoot them with.
From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026
Instead of the franchised blandness of American cities, Alexandria is a city of mom-and-pop stores, all with signage screaming for attention, their wares encroaching on the streets.
From "Circumference" by Nicholas Nicastro
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.