encroachment
10 synonyms for encroachment, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The act of gradually intruding on someone else's land, rights or area of authority, or the intrusion itself.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use encroachment
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
encroachment on
gradual encroachment
illegal encroachment
encroachment of the sea
Formal; common in law, property, planning and politics.
Etymology
From encroach, from Old French encrochier "to seize, hook on to", from en- and croc "hook", with the noun suffix -ment.
Full origin of encroachment →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between encroachment and trespass?
Trespass is entering someone's land without permission, usually as a one-off act by a person. Encroachment is a lasting physical or legal intrusion, such as a fence, extension or overhanging structure that sits across the boundary and stays there.
What is the difference between encroachment and an easement?
An easement is a right to use part of someone else's land that has been properly granted and recorded. An encroachment is an intrusion nobody agreed to, which may have to be removed or later regularised.
Does encroachment always involve land?
No. The word is used just as often for gradual intrusions on rights, freedoms or someone's authority, as in "encroachment on civil liberties".
