Extortion vs Ransom - What's the difference?
extortion | ransom |
The practice of extorting money or other property by the use of force or threats.
Money paid for the freeing of a hostage.
* 1674 , , Paradise Lost , Book XII:
* Sir J. Davies
* 2010 , Caroline Alexander, The War That Killed Achilles: The True Story of Homer's Iliad :
The release of a captive, or of captured property, by payment of a consideration.
(historical, legal, UK) A sum paid for the pardon of some great offence and the discharge of the offender; also, a fine paid in lieu of corporal punishment.
To deliver, especially in context of sin or relevant penalties.
To pay a price to set someone free from captivity or punishment.
To exact a ransom for, or a payment on.
As nouns the difference between extortion and ransom
is that extortion is the practice of extorting money or other property by the use of force or threats while ransom is money paid for the freeing of a hostage.As a verb ransom is
to deliver, especially in context of sin or relevant penalties.extortion
English
Noun
(wikipedia extortion) (en noun)Synonyms
* blackmailransom
English
(wikipedia ransom)Noun
(en-noun)- They were held for two million dollars ransom .
- They were held to ransom .
- Thy ransom paid, which man from death redeems.
- His captivity in Austria, and the heavy ransom he paid for his liberty.
- As rich as was the ransom Priam paid for Hektor, Hermes says, his remaining sons at Troy “'would give three times as much ransom / for you, who are alive, were Atreus' son Agamemnon / to recognize you.'”
- prisoners hopeless of ransom
- (Dryden)
- (Blackstone)
Usage notes
* (term) is much more common in the US, (to) in the UK.Derived terms
* king's ransomVerb
- to ransom prisoners from an enemy
- Such lands as he had rule of he ransomed them so grievously, and would tax the men two or three times in a year. — Berners.