Foreclose Definition

fôr-klōz
foreclosed, forecloses, foreclosing
verb
foreclosed, forecloses, foreclosing
To enforce (a lien, deed of trust, or mortgage) in whatever manner is provided for by law.
American Heritage
To foreclose a mortgage.
Webster's New World
To shut out; exclude; bar.
Webster's New World
To extinguish the right to redeem (a mortgage) by foreclosure.
Webster's New World
To bring a suit to prevent a mortgagor from redeeming (a property) by paying any outstanding debt.
American Heritage

Origin of Foreclose

  • From Middle English foreclosen, forclosen, from Old French forclos, past participle of forclore (“to exclude”), from for + clore (“to shut”). Some senses originated from or were influenced by Middle English forclusen (“to close up”), from Old English forclȳsan (“to close up”), equivalent to for- +‎ close.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English forclosen to exclude from an inheritance from Old French forclos shut out past participle of forclore to exclude fors- outside (from Latin forīs dhwer- in Indo-European roots) clore to close (from Latin claudere)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

Foreclose Is Also Mentioned In

Find Similar Words

Find similar words to foreclose using the buttons below.

Words Starting With

Words Ending With

Unscrambles

foreclose