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Blackmail vs Leverage - What's the difference?

blackmail | leverage |

As nouns the difference between blackmail and leverage

is that blackmail is (archaic) a certain rate of money, corn, cattle, or other thing, anciently paid, in the north of england and south of scotland, to certain men who were allied to robbers, or moss troopers, to be by them protected from pillage while leverage is a force compounded by means of a lever rotating around a pivot; see torque.

As verbs the difference between blackmail and leverage

is that blackmail is to extort money or favors from (a person) by exciting fears of injury other than bodily harm, such as injury to reputation, distress of mind, false accusation, etc; as, to blackmail a merchant by threatening to expose an alleged fraud while leverage is (transitive|chiefly|us|slang|business) to use; to exploit; to take full advantage (of something).

blackmail

Noun

(-)
  • (archaic) A certain rate of money, corn, cattle, or other thing, anciently paid, in the north of England and south of Scotland, to certain men who were allied to robbers, or moss troopers, to be by them protected from pillage.
  • Payment of money exacted by means of intimidation; also, extortion of money from a person by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure.
  • to levy blackmail
  • :: to extort money by threats, as of injury to one's reputation
  • (English law) Black rent, or rent paid in corn, meat, or the lowest coin, as opposed to white rent, which paid in silver.
  • Derived terms

    * emotional blackmail

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To extort money or favors from (a person) by exciting fears of injury other than bodily harm, such as injury to reputation, distress of mind, false accusation, etc.; as, to blackmail a merchant by threatening to expose an alleged fraud.
  • See also

    * extortion * protection racket ----

    leverage

    English

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • A force compounded by means of a lever rotating around a pivot; see torque.
  • A crowbar uses leverage to pry nails out of wood.
  • By extension, any influence which is compounded or used to gain an advantage.
  • Try using competitors’ prices for leverage in the negotiation.
  • (finance) The use of borrowed funds with a contractually determined return to increase the ability of a business to invest and earn an expected higher return, but usually at high risk.
  • Leverage is great until something goes wrong with your investments and you still have to pay your debts.
  • *
  • (business) The ability to earn very high returns when operating at high capacity utilization of a facility.
  • Their variable-cost-reducing investments have dramatically increased their leverage .
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=April 15 , author=Saj Chowdhury , title=Norwich 2 - 1 Nott'm Forest , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=The former Forest man, who passed a late fitness test, appeared to use Guy Moussi for leverage before nodding in David Fox's free-kick at the far post - his 22nd goal of the season.}}

    Synonyms

    * (force compounded by a lever) mechanical advantage * (use of borrowed fund) financial leverage * (ability to earn high returns from high capacity utilization) operating leverage

    Verb

    (leverag)
  • (transitive, chiefly, US, slang, business) To use; to exploit; to take full advantage (of something).
  • Derived terms

    * leveraged buyout

    Synonyms

    * (take full advantage of) exploit, use