encroachment

encroachment — 名詞

1. the slow, often hard-to-notice process of reducing someone's freedom, privacy, o

1.名詞B2
釋義

侵犯；侵佔

逐步奪取他人權利或時間

the slow, often hard-to-notice process of reducing someone's freedom, privacy, or the amount of time they have for themselves

例句

Mei felt that the new work rules were an encroachment on her personal time.

Mei 認為新的工作規定是對她個人時間的侵犯。

encroachment + on + personal time

The company's monitoring of employee emails was seen as an encroachment upon privacy.

公司監控員工電子郵件的行為被視為對隱私的侵犯。

encroachment + upon + privacy

同義詞
  • intrusion

    suggests a more direct and unwelcome entry into someone's private space

  • infringement

    more formal, often used in legal contexts about rights or laws

  • trespass

    stronger, suggesting a clear violation of a boundary

反義詞
  • respect

    treating someone's rights or time with consideration

  • protection

    keeping rights or boundaries safe from interference

文法句型

encroachment + on/upon + noun phrase

用法筆記

Often used with on or upon to indicate what is being reduced or taken away. Frequently appears in legal and political contexts about rights and freedoms.

常見錯誤

❌The new rules are an encroachment of my time.
✅The new rules are an encroachment on my time.
💡The correct preposition is on or upon, not of.
❌I feel encroachment in my free time.
✅I feel that the extra work is an encroachment on my free time.
💡Encroachment is a noun describing the process, not a feeling.

2. in sports such as football or basketball, an action in which a player moves into

2.名詞B1
釋義

違例

運動中提前移動的犯規

in sports such as football or basketball, an action in which a player moves into a forbidden area or too close to an opponent before play has officially started

例句

The referee blew his whistle and called an encroachment on the defensive line.

裁判吹哨，判防守線違例。

call + an encroachment (sports context)

Diego cost his team fifteen yards when he jumped early and was penalized for encroachment.

Diego 因過早起跑被判違例，讓球隊損失了十五碼。

同義詞
  • offside

    the correct term in soccer and ice hockey for being in a forbidden position ahead of play

  • infraction

    general term for any rule-breaking in sports

文法句型

call + an encroachment

commit + an encroachment

用法筆記

Primarily used in American football, Canadian football, and some basketball contexts. In soccer, the same idea is called offside or a similar violation depending on the rulebook.

常見錯誤

❌The player committed encroachment in the penalty area.' (in soccer)
✅Use the correct term for the sport: 'The striker was offside.
💡Encroachment is not the standard term in soccer/football.

3. the gradual spread of something such as buildings, towns, or roads into land tha

3.名詞B2
釋義

蠶食；侵入

建築物或城鎮逐步擴張佔據土地

the gradual spread of something such as buildings, towns, or roads into land that was previously natural, empty, or used for a different purpose

例句

Elena watched the encroachment of new apartment blocks onto the farmland she once knew.

Elena 眼看著新建的公寓大樓逐步蠶食她曾經熟悉的農田。

encroachment + of + [something] + onto + [area]

The national park faces steady encroachment from illegal mining operations on its eastern edge.

國家公園東緣面臨非法採礦作業的持續侵入。

同義詞
  • expansion

    neutral or sometimes positive; encroachment has a negative tone

  • sprawl

    specifically about the uncontrolled spread of urban areas

  • invasion

    stronger, suggesting deliberate hostile entry

反義詞
  • retreat

    movement away from an area

  • withdrawal

    deliberate pulling back from occupied space

文法句型

encroachment + into/on/onto + area

用法筆記

Often used in environmental and urban-planning discussions. The subject of the encroachment (the thing spreading) is usually indicated by of, while the affected area takes on, into, or onto.

常見錯誤

❌The encroachment of the city to the forests is worrying.
✅The encroachment of the city into the forests is worrying.
💡Use on, into, or onto, not to.

encroachment — 動詞