lien

IPA/ˈliː.ən/
KK[lˈin]IPA/ˈliː.ən/

lien — noun

  • liensingular
  • liensplural

1. A legal right that a person or organization has over another person's property,

1.nounC1
Definition

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.

Example

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]

Common collocations
  • place a lien on
  • file a lien against
  • have a lien against
  • remove a lien
  • outstanding lien
  • tax lien
  • mechanic's lien
Synonyms
  • 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.

Grammar Patterns

a lien on [property]

a lien against [property]

place/file a lien on [property]

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

The bank gave a lien on my house.
The bank placed a lien on my house.
'place a lien' and 'file a lien' are the standard collocations, not 'give a lien.'
I took out a lien to buy the car.
The seller placed a lien on the car until I paid in full.
A lien is not a loan; it is the legal claim used to secure a loan.

Word family

  • lien holder
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all four words relate to a legal interest in property, a 'lien' is the most specific: it is a legal right to hold or seize property until a debt is paid. An 'encumbrance' is any burden on a property's title, including liens, easements, and restrictive covenants — it is the broadest of the group. A 'mortgage' is a loan agreement in which the borrower pledges property as security; a lien is the claim that arises when that loan is not repaid. 'Claim' is a general term for a demand for money or property, used in both legal and everyday contexts ('an insurance claim'), so it lacks the precision of 'lien.' In British legal English, 'charge' is often used similarly to 'lien' ('a legal charge over the property'). For example: the bank held a lien on the factory after the owner defaulted on the loan.

encumbrancemortgage ↗claim ↗charge ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • place a lien on
  • file a lien against
  • remove a lien from
  • lien holder

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchAnglo-FrenchEnglish

From Latin 'ligamen' meaning a bond or tie, via Old French 'lien' and Anglo-French legal language. The word entered English legal vocabulary in the 1500s, originally referring to any legal tie or binding obligation, and gradually narrowed to mean a creditor's right over a debtor's property.

First known use

1531

1531, in the meaning defined at sense 1