What does "ransom" mean?
Money paid for the freeing of a hostage.
Ransom
/ˈɹæn.səm/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Money paid for the freeing of a hostage.
- Grammar: ransom is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: bail out, blackmail, buy, buyback price.
- Useful contrasts: condemn, confiscation, detain.
- Usage evidence: The hijacker demanded a ransom of two million dollars.
How to use "ransom"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ransom" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ransom" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ransom" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ransom" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ransom" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bail out" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "ransom", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Money paid for the freeing of a hostage. uncountable, usually
"They were held for two million dollars ransom."
- 2 the act of freeing from captivity or punishment wordnet
- 3 The release of a captive, or of captured property, by payment of a consideration. uncountable, usually
"prisoners hopeless of ransom"
- 4 payment for the release of someone wordnet
- 5 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. UK, historical, uncountable, usually
"punished with imprisonment and ransom at the King's will"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 money demanded for the return of a captured person wordnet
Verb
- 1 To deliver, especially in context of sin or relevant penalties. obsolete
- 2 exchange or buy back for money; under threat wordnet
- 3 To pay a price to set someone free from captivity or punishment.
"to ransom prisoners from an enemy"
- 4 To exact a ransom (payment) in exchange for the freedom of.
"Terrorists will continue to hold few detainees in undisclosed locations in order to ransom them for money or some other material profit, […]"
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname. countable, uncountable
- 2 A place in the United States:; A village in Allen Township, LaSalle County, Illinois, named after Thomas E. G. Ransom. countable, uncountable
- 3 A place in the United States:; A minor city in Ness County, Kansas, also named after Thomas Ransom. countable, uncountable
- 4 A place in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Pike County, Kentucky. countable, uncountable
- 5 A place in the United States:; A township and unincorporated community therein, in Hillsdale County, Michigan, named after Epaphroditus Ransom. countable, uncountable
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A place in the United States:; An unincorporated community and township in Nobles County, Minnesota. countable, uncountable
- 7 A place in the United States:; A township and village therein, in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, named after Samuel Ransom. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The hijacker demanded a ransom of two million dollars."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ransom"?
Common synonyms include: bail out, blackmail, buy, buyback price, deliver, deliver.
How do you use "ransom" in a sentence?
The hijacker demanded a ransom of two million dollars.
How do you pronounce "ransom"?
Pronounced /ˈɹæn.səm/.
Etymology
From the Middle English ransoun, from the Old French raençon, from stem of Latin redēmptiō. Entered English ca. the 13th century. Doublet of redemption.