encroachment (C1)

noun

Pronunciation: /ɪnˈkroʊtʃmənt/

Definition

An intrusion on a person's territory, rights, or property, often gradually or subtly.

Examples

• The new building represented an encroachment on the public park's green space.

• Many citizens viewed the new law as an unacceptable encroachment on their personal freedoms.

• The tree's branches were an encroachment onto the adjacent property, causing a dispute.

How to Use encroachment

encroachment on/upon (prepositional phrase)

An act of intruding on or violating something, usually rights or territory. — "The new policy was seen as an encroachment on individual privacy."

Synonyms of encroachment

Words with a similar meaning to encroachment:

• intrusion
• trespass
• infringement
• usurpation

Antonyms of encroachment

Words with the opposite meaning to encroachment:

• withdrawal
• retreat

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