Meaning & use
ransom
Last updated
a sum of money demanded or paid for the release of a captive.
See it in a sentence
The kidnappers demanded a large ransom before they would release the hostage.
The family paid the ransom in secret to avoid alerting the police.
A note on using this word
Ransom is also used as a verb ('to ransom someone') and appears in the fixed phrase 'hold someone/something ransom,' meaning to demand payment or concessions in exchange for release.
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