encroachment

Everyday

1. Slowly going into a place, time or right that belongs to someone else, a little at a time. tree →
2. (law) Building or using land beyond your boundary onto someone else's land. tree →
3. (nature) The sea, a desert or towns slowly spreading over land. tree →

In the lessons

In geography, coastal erosion and desert encroachment take land; in science, towns encroach on animals' habitats; in law and citizenship, encroachment on rights; in American football, a foul called encroachment; phrases: «encroachment on», «the encroachment of the sea».

Examples

• The encroachment of the sea is eating away the cliffs. tree →
• Towns' encroachment on forests leaves animals with less space. tree →
• The neighbour's new fence was an encroachment on our garden. tree →
• Desert encroachment makes farming harder. tree →
• People protested against the encroachment on their rights. tree →
• Rising water caused the encroachment of salt into farmland. tree →

Note

Verb: encroach («encroach on»). Pronounced en-KROHCH-ment. Formal word; simpler: creeping in, taking over.