# encroach

> English word · Verb · IPA /ɪŋˈkɹəʊtʃ/ · frequency rank #53,519

## Definitions
1. to seize, appropriate
2. To intrude unrightfully on someone else’s rights or territory.
3. To advance gradually beyond due limits.

## Etymology
From Middle English encrochen, from Old French encrochier (“to seize”), from Old French en- + croc (“hook”), of Germanic origin. More at crook.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/encroach