different between ransom vs blackmail

English

Etymology

From the Middle English ransoun, from the Old French raençon, from stem of Latin redemptio. Entered English ca. the 13th century. Doublet of redemption.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??æns?m/

Noun

ransom (usually uncountable, plural ransoms)

1. Money paid for the freeing of a hostage.
   • 1674, John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book XII:

     Thy ransom paid, which man from death redeems.

   • 1612, John Davies, Discoverie of the True Causes why Ireland was never entirely subdued

     His captivity in Austria, and the heavy ransom he paid for his liberty.

   • 2010, Caroline Alexander, The War That Killed Achilles: The True Story of Homer's Iliad:

     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.'”

2. The release of a captive, or of captured property, by payment of a consideration.

   • Till the fair slave be rendered to her sire; And ransom-free restored to his abode

3. (historical, law, Britain) 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.

Usage notes

• "held for ransom" is much more common in the US, "held to ransom" in the UK.

Derived terms

• king's ransom
• ransom strip
• ransomware

Translations

Verb

ransom (third-person singular simple present ransoms, present participle ransoming, simple past and past participle ransomed)

1. (14th century) To deliver, especially in context of sin or relevant penalties.
2. To pay a price to set someone free from captivity or punishment.

3. To exact a ransom for, or a payment on.

   (Can we date this quote by Berners and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?).

Translations

See also

• bail

References

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary: Tenth Edition 1997

Anagrams

• Armons, Manors, Marons, Marson, Romans, Rosman, manors, morans, mornas, normas, ramson, sarmon

English

Etymology

From black + mail (“a piece of money”). Compare Middle English blak rente (“a type of blackmail levied by Irish chieftains”).

The word is variously derived from the tribute paid by English and Scottish border dwellers to Border Reivers in return for immunity from raids and other harassment. This tribute was paid in goods or labour, in Latin reditus nigri "blackmail"; the opposite is blanche firmes or reditus albi "white rent", denoting payment by silver. Alternatively, McKay derives it from two Scottish Gaelic words blàthaich, pronounced (the th silent) bl-aich, "to protect" and màl (“tribute, payment”). He notes that the practice was common in the Highlands of Scotland as well as the Borders.

More likely, from black (adj.) + Middle English mal, male, maile (“a payment, rent, tribute”), from Old English m?l (“speech, contract, agreement, lawsuit, terms, bargaining”), from Old Norse mál (“agreement, speech, lawsuit”); related to Old English mæðel "meeting, council," mæl "speech," Gothic ???????????????? (maþl) "meeting place," from Proto-Germanic *maþl?, from PIE *mod- "to meet, assemble" (see meet (v.)). From the practice of freebooting clan chieftains who ran protection rackets against Scottish farmers. Black from the evil of the practice. Expanded c.1826 to any type of extortion money. Compare silver mail "rent paid in money" (1590s); buttock-mail (Scottish, 1530s) "fine imposed for fornication."

Pronunciation

Noun

blackmail (uncountable)

1. The extortion of money or favours by threats of public accusation, exposure, or censure.
2. (archaic) A form of protection money (or corn, cattle, etc.) anciently paid, in the north of England and south of Scotland, to the allies of robbers in order to be spared from pillage.
3. (England law, historical) Black rent, or rent paid in corn, meat, or the lowest coin, as opposed to white rent, which was paid in silver.
4. Compromising material that can be used to extort someone, dirt.

Derived terms

• emotional blackmail
• post-attack blackmail

Translations

Verb

blackmail (third-person singular simple present blackmails, present participle blackmailing, simple past and past participle blackmailed)

1. (transitive) 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.

   He blackmailed a businesswoman by threatening to expose an alleged fraud.

2. (Kenya) To speak ill of someone; to defame someone.

Translations

Related terms

• graymail, whitemail, greenmail

See also

• extortion
• protection racket

Scots

Etymology

From black (“bad”) +? mail (“rent”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?bl?k???l/, /?bl?k???l/
• (Southern Scotland) IPA^(key): /?bl??k????l/

Noun

blackmail (uncountable)

1. (archaic) A tribute paid, usually in kind, to reivers or raiders as a form of protection money.
2. Payment of money exacted by means of intimidation.

Verb

blackmail (third-person singular present blackmails, present participle blackmailin, past blackmailt, past participle blackmailt)

1. To extort money from another by means of intimidation.