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Glite Dictionary
⚖️ Seizing property 📦 Seized items
distrainment

distrainment

9.9
To take a person's property by legal order to make them pay a debt
  • noun
  • /dɪsˈtreɪnmənt/
  • UK
translation icon : embargo
  • The court authorized the distrainment of his assets to ensure he paid his overdue debts.

Examples

  • After failing to settle her account, the company initiated distrainment of her personal property.

  • Coercive measures include coercive delivery, forced escort, property distrainment, and freezing of accounts.

    Academic text (2018)

  • Indeed, Suffield's New Light faction proved to be a contentious and recalcitrant lot, and many of those who separated from the town's two churches willingly suffered the distrainment of their personal possessions rather than pay taxes to support either standing minister.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Due to unpaid loans, the bank proceeded with distrainment of the customer's valuable items.

Synonyms

distress
vsdistrainment
  • UK
53 9.0

Taking and holding a person's property to make them pay a debt

focuses on the act and legal process rather than the holding itself
confiscation
vsdistrainment
15 5.4

An authority takes someone's property as a punishment

is aimed at recovering money owed rather than serving as punishment
repossession
vsdistrainment
  • Specialized
5 6.7

The lender takes back property such as a home or car when the borrower stops paying

covers broader legal seizure to enforce various debts, not only loans
dispossession
vsdistrainment
  • Specialized
3 8.2

A legal loss of land, property or other things someone owns

is about seizing property to enforce payment rather than general loss
sequestration
vsdistrainment
  • Formal
1 9.4

Seizing and holding property until a debt is paid

is the general enforcement seizure rather than a temporary holding
distraint
vsdistrainment
  • UK
9.9

The legal taking of someone's property to get money they owe

is the same legal seizure concept but named in a different form

Antonyms

to release
  • Formal
69 2.6

To give up a right, claim, or ownership of something

Surface Forms

distrainment singular
distrainments plural

Morphology

distrainment = distrain (transparent) = distrain + ment

Regular nominalization of the verb 'distrain' with '-ment' yields the act or resulting thing, though 'distrain' is a specialised legal verb.

Etymology

Distrainment comes from the verb distrain, made of dis- 'apart' and stringere 'to pull tight', so it gives the image of things being pulled away. A helpful way to remember it is that distrainment is the legal act of 'pulling away' someone's property to make them pay a debt.