Encroachment is the act of slowly affecting or using up too much of somebody's time, rights, personal life, etc. or the act of slowly covering more and more of an area. Learn how to use this word in different contexts with pictures, pronunciation and synonyms. An encroachment is something that intrudes and has the power to influence whatever it encounters. Some might consider text messaging to be an encroachment of impersonal technology on true, heartfelt interactions. Encroachment carries the sense of something slowly creeping into something else's space, either literally or figuratively. Learn what real estate encroachment is, how it occurs, and ways to resolve it legally for smoother property ownership and neighbor relations. trespass, encroach, infringe, invade mean to make inroads upon the property, territory, or rights of another. trespass implies an unwarranted or unlawful intrusion.