foreclosure
n. C / Un. the legal process where a bank takes back a property because the owner cannot pay their mortgage. This usually happens after the owner misses several payments.
n. the legal procedure by which a lender takes possession of a mortgaged property when the borrower fails to keep up their payments. This process terminates the borrower's equitable right of redemption.
The family lost their home to foreclosure last month.
After the factory closed, many local residents faced foreclosure as they struggled to meet their monthly mortgage obligations.
The sudden spike in interest rates led to a wave of foreclosures, forcing the government to intervene with emergency legislation to protect vulnerable homeowners from immediate eviction.
From foreclose by analogy with closure, equivalent to fore- + closure.
Uncountable when referring to the general legal process; countable when referring to specific instances or cases.