lien
lien — noun
- liensingular
- liensplural
1. A legal right that a person or organization has over another person's property,
A legal right that a person or organization has over another person's property, giving them the power to keep or take control of that property until a debt connected to it is fully paid.
The bank placed a lien on the house after the owners stopped paying the mortgage.
collocation: place a lien on [property]
Mei checked the vehicle history for any outstanding liens before buying the used car.
collocation: lien against [property]
The contractor filed a mechanic's lien because the homeowner never paid for the kitchen renovation.
A tax lien allows the local government to sell a property to recover unpaid taxes.
Aarav could not sell his apartment until the lien was removed from the title.
- encumbrance
A broader legal term for any claim or burden on a property; a lien is one type of encumbrance, but encumbrance can also include easements or restrictions.
- claim
A general word for a demand for money or property; less formal and legally precise than 'lien.'
- charge
Common in British English ('a legal charge on a property') to mean the same as lien.
文法句型
a lien on [property]
a lien against [property]
place/file a lien on [property]
用法筆記
Frequently appears in real estate, banking, and commercial law contexts. The noun is commonly paired with the verbs 'place,' 'file,' or 'have' — a lender places a lien on property, not gives a lien. Do not confuse with 'mortgage,' which is the loan agreement itself; a lien is the legal claim that secures repayment when a debt goes unpaid.