ransom

¹

[ ran-suhm ]

noun

1. the redemption of a prisoner or kidnapped person, of captured goods, etc., for a price.

   Synonyms: release, liberation, deliverance

2. the sum or price paid or demanded.
3. a means of deliverance or rescue from punishment for sin, especially the payment of a redemptive fine.

verb (used with object)

1. to redeem from captivity, bondage, detention, etc., by paying a demanded price.
2. to release or restore on receipt of a ransom.
3. to deliver or redeem from punishment for sin.

Ransom

²

[ ran-suhm ]

noun

1. John Crowe [kroh], 1888–1974, U.S. poet, critic, and teacher.

Ransom

¹

/ ˈrænsəm /

noun

1. RansomJohn Crowe18881974MUSWRITING: poetWRITING: critic John Crowe . 1888–1974, US poet and critic

ransom

²

/ ˈrænsəm /

noun

1. the release of captured prisoners, property, etc, on payment of a stipulated price
2. the price demanded or stipulated for such a release
3. rescue or redemption of any kind
4. hold to ransom
   1. to keep (prisoners, property, etc) in confinement until payment for their release is made or received
   2. to attempt to force (a person or persons) to comply with one's demands
5. a king's ransom
   a very large amount of money or valuables

verb

1. to pay a stipulated price and so obtain the release of (prisoners, property, etc)
2. to set free (prisoners, property, etc) upon receiving the payment demanded
3. to redeem; rescue

   Christ ransomed men from sin

Derived Forms

• ˈransomer, noun

Other Words From

• ransom·er noun
• un·ransomed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ransom¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English noun ranso(u)n, rançoun, from Old French rançon, reançon from Late Latin redēmptiōn- (stem of redēmptiō ) redemption; verb derivative of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ransom¹

C14: from Old French ransoun , from Latin redemptiō a buying back, redemption

Idioms and Phrases

see king's ransom .

Synonym Study

See redeem.

Example Sentences

"The drug-related intimidation is affecting individuals, families and whole communities are being held to ransom by the drug dealers."

From BBC

A brother and sister from Mexico were convicted of kidnapping a neighbor and threatening to kill the victim unless his Southern California family paid a ransom, according to federal authorities.

From Los Angeles Times

The firm did not disclose whether the ransom was paid.

From BBC

“Etiquette is kind of beside the point. It’s like reading a ransom note and going, ‘This cursive is just so lovely.

From Salon

Bosses at Hydro decided they would not pay a ransom fee to restore access, meaning that 35,000 staff working across 40 countries had to find other ways of doing their jobs, temporarily.

From BBC

About This Word

What does ransom mean?

A ransom is the money or goods demanded to be paid in exchange for the release of a captured or kidnapped person or piece of property.

Ransom also commonly refers to the amount of money that the captor demands.

It can also refer to such an exchange or the act of releasing a person or property for a price, as in The duke’s ransom depended on his wife gathering all the money demanded. 

Ransom can also be used as a verb meaning to get a person or property released by paying a price, as in I had to ransom my toy from the bully for $10.

It can also mean to release a captive after receiving a ransom, as in Each prisoner was ransomed for $500. 

Less commonly, ransom can be used in a religious context to mean to redeem or deliver someone from punishment for sin, as Christians believe Jesus did.

A person who holds someone in exchange for a ransom is called a ransomer.

Ransomware is software that is illegally put on a computer and prevents users from accessing their data without paying a ransom.

Example: The kidnapper demanded a hefty ransom before he released the princess to her father.

Where does ransom come from?

The first records of the word ransom come from the 1100s. It ultimately comes from the Late Latin redēmptiō, meaning “redemption.” The verb ransom is derived from the noun usage.

Ransom is used in the idiom king’s ransom, which means a large amount of money or valuables. As you might guess, a captured king could be ransomed for a large amount of money. In fact, the German emperor Henry VI ransomed King Richard “the Lionheart” I of England in 1193 for 150,000 German marks, a huge amount of money at that time.

Today, the word ransom is often used to refer to a price that someone is demanding to safely release their prisoner or captured property. Property can include data found in a computer system, such as a person’s bank account number, passwords, or government ID number. Software that allows data to be taken for ransom is called ransomware.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to ransom?

• ransomer (noun)
• unransomed (adjective)

What are some words that share a root or word element with ransom? 

• king’s ransom
• ransomware
• redeem
• redemption

What are some words that often get used in discussing ransom?

• kidnap
• hijack
• capture
• captive
• money
• payment
• demands

How is ransom used in real life?

Ransom is associated with kidnapping, hijacking, and data theft, but it can also be used in figurative ways.

On Tuesday at around 1:45 a.m. local time, in southern Niger, US citizen named Philipe Nathan Walton was kidnapped by 6 men with AK-47s on motorbikes, per media. The armed kidnappers called his father, who lives about a mile away, and demanded ransom, a local official said.

1/

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 31, 2020

Reports 29 Chinese fishermen kidnapped at sea by armed North Koreans, who are demanding ransom of $190,000

— Mark Willacy (@markwillacy) May 17, 2012

Detailed medical histories and contact information of 80K+ patients in Ontario allegedly held for ransom after data breach at CarePartners healthcare provider (CBC News) https://t.co/dM3NUjmwJT

— Richard Lemon (@RichardLemon) July 19, 2018

 

 

Try using ransom!

Is ransom used correctly in the following sentence?

The kidnappers ransomed the prisoners back to their families after receiving a large payment.