extortion
n. uncountablen. the act of forcing someone to give you money or something else by using threats. It is a crime where the person feels they have no choice but to pay.
n. the practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats. Often involves the abuse of authority or the threat of violence or legal action.
The gang was arrested for extortion after threatening local shop owners.
The corrupt official faced charges of extortion for demanding illegal payments in exchange for building permits.
While bribery involves a mutual agreement between two parties, extortion is characterized by the use of coercion to compel a victim to surrender their assets against their will.
From Anglo-Norman extorcion, extorcioun, extorsioun, from Late Latin extortiō, from extorqueō.
Often used with the preposition 'from' to indicate the source of the money or property.
He was guilty of extortion to the company.He was guilty of extortion from the company.The noun typically takes the preposition 'from' to identify the victim or source of the extorted goods.