foreclose

A verb used to indicate the act of taking possession of a property when the owner fails to make mortgage payments, or to prevent or exclude something from happening.

• 🇫🇷Verbe utilisé pour désigner l'action de saisir un bien lorsqu'un propriétaire ne rembourse pas son hypothèque, ou pour empêcher ou exclure quelque chose.

1. Take possession of property C1 formal legal

   To take possession of a property because the owner has failed to repay a loan secured by that property.

   • The bank decided to foreclose on the house after six months of missed payments.
   • They lost their home when the lender foreclosed on the mortgage.
   • The court approved the bank's request to foreclose the property.

   🇫🇷Saisir un bien immobilier

   Synonymes: confiscateimpoundrepossessseizetake back

2. Prevent or exclude C2 formal

   To prevent something from happening or to exclude a possibility.

   • The new evidence forecloses any possibility of an appeal.
   • His actions foreclosed any chance of reconciliation.
   • The agreement forecloses the option of renegotiating the terms.

   🇫🇷exclure, empêcher

   Synonymes: debarexcludeforestallobviateprecludepreventrule out

   Antonymes: allowenableencouragefacilitatepermit

• foreclosed past participle
• foreclosed past simple
• foreclosing present participle
• forecloses third person singular