garnishment

noun

gar·​nish·​ment ˈgär-nish-mənt 

1

: ornament, garnish

2

: a legal summons or warning concerning the attachment of property to satisfy a debt

3

: a stoppage of a specified sum from wages to satisfy a creditor or a legal obligation (such as child support)

Synonyms

• adornment
• beautifier
• caparison
• decoration
• doodad
• embellisher
• embellishment
• frill
• garnish
• garniture
• ornament
• ornamentation
• setoff
• trim

Examples of garnishment in a Sentence

a high-end caterer whose dishes feature an array of over-the-top garnishments

Recent Examples on the Web

Legal action: In extreme cases, unpaid debts can result in legal action, such as a lawsuit or wage garnishment. —Kevin Harper, Sacramento Bee, 21 Mar. 2025

Getty Images For roughly the past five years, federal student loan borrowers who fell behind on their bills didn’t need to worry about the usual consequences, including the garnishment of their wages and retirement benefits. —Annie Nova, CNBC, 24 Jan. 2025

This means consequences like wage garnishment and tax refund seizures could kick in for the first time since 2019 for those who can't get back on track. —Shahar Ziv, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025

The criminal investigation into Sessler started after a Legal Aid lawyer questioned the authenticity of garnishment documents. —Cary Spivak, Journal Sentinel, 1 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

(sense 1) garnish entry 1 + -ment; (senses 2 & 3) borrowed from Anglo-French garnissement "warning, notification, notification concerning the attachment of property to satisfy a debt," from garniss-, stem of garnir "to give notice, warn, give legal summons" + -ment -ment — more at garnish entry 1

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Legal Definition

garnishment

noun

gar·​nish·​ment ˈgär-nish-mənt 

: a remedial device used by a creditor to have property of the debtor or money owed to the debtor that is in the possession of a third party attached to pay the debt to the creditor

specifically : attachment of the debtor's wages to satisfy a judgment compare wage assignment at assignment