hijacking
n. C / Un. the act of taking control of a vehicle, like a plane or bus, by force. You can also use it when someone takes over a conversation or a computer system without permission.
n. the illegal seizure of a vehicle, aircraft, or ship while in transit, typically by force or threat of violence. In modern contexts, it also refers to the unauthorised takeover of a digital account or the redirection of a discussion toward a different topic.
The hijacking of the plane lasted for three days.
Airport security measures were significantly tightened following the attempted hijacking of a commercial flight last summer.
While physical hijacking remains a severe security threat, the digital hijacking of social media accounts has become a more frequent tool for spreading misinformation and damaging corporate reputations.
From hijack + -ing.
Uncountable when referring to the general crime; countable when referring to a specific incident.