en ‧ cum ‧ ber /ɪnˈkʌmbə $ -ər/ BrE AmE verb [transitive usually passive]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: encombrer , from combre 'something that prevents movement' ]
formal to make it difficult for you to do something or for something to happen SYN burden :
He died in 1874, heavily encumbered by debt.
encumber with
The whole process was encumbered with bureaucracy.
—encumbrance noun [countable]