Ransom vs Blackmail - What's the difference?
ransom | blackmail |
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.
(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 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.
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.
As nouns the difference between ransom and blackmail
is that ransom is money paid for the freeing of a hostage while blackmail is 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.As verbs the difference between ransom and blackmail
is that ransom is to deliver, especially in context of sin or relevant penalties while 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.ransom
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.
See also
* bailReferences
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: Tenth Edition 1997Anagrams
* * * * *blackmail
English
(wikipedia blackmail)Noun
(-)- to levy blackmail
