Meanings
noundistraint (countable and uncountable, plural distraints)
plural distraints
- countableuncountablelawThe legal right of a landlord to seize the property of a tenant in the event of nonpayment of rent.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe seizure and holding of property as security for payment of a debt or satisfaction of a claim
Similar
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From distrain, on the model of such pairs as constrain, constraint and restrain, restraint.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish pidätysoikeus
- pidätysoikeusright of a landlord to seize the property of a tenant
French saisie-exécution, saisie mobilière
- saisie-exécutionright of a landlord to seize the property of a tenant
- saisie mobilièreright of a landlord to seize the property of a tenant
- saisie-arrêtright of a landlord to seize the property of a tenant
Hungarian végrehajtás, lefoglalás
- végrehajtásright of a landlord to seize the property of a tenant
- lefoglalásright of a landlord to seize the property of a tenant
- zár alá vételright of a landlord to seize the property of a tenant
Italian pignoramento
- pignoramentoright of a landlord to seize the property of a tenant
Polish zajęcie
- zajęcieright of a landlord to seize the property of a tenant
Romanian sechestru
- sechestruright of a landlord to seize the property of a tenant
Spanish embargo, peindra (disused)
- embargoright of a landlord to seize the property of a tenant
- peindra (disused)right of a landlord to seize the property of a tenant
Cite this entry
APA
distraint. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/distraint
MLA
“distraint.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/distraint. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “distraint,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/distraint.
Source: distraint on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.