Incumbrances

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A burdensome factor that restricts or hinders progress or movement
2. A liability or hindrance that encumbers someone, often relating to property or responsibilities
3. A heavy load or obligation that complicates situations, often causing delays or difficulties

Etymology: "Incumbrances" is the plural of "incumbrance," a variant spelling of "encumbrance." The word that shows up in English is essentially the same as its more common twin, with the spelling simply dropping the "e" at the front. Both spellings come from the same root, and both have long been used for the same thing: a load or obstacle that slows a person or thing down. The core idea is weight. The root behind these forms is a sense of something placed on or in the way, a burden pressing down. Over time that physical sense of a heavy load moved toward the figurative: a debt, a dependent, or a legal claim on property can each be an encumbrance, and so can a set of circumstances that holds back progress. The plural form is simply what you get when you have several such hindrances at once.

Synonyms: burdens, obstacles, hindrances

Antonyms: assets