Word
hijacking
Phoneticshi·jack·ing
US/ˈhaɪˌdʒækɪŋ/
UK/hˈaɪdʒækɪŋ/
Definition
n. 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.
Examples
“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.”
Examples
simple
“The hijacking of the plane lasted for three days.”
contextual
“Airport security measures were significantly tightened following the attempted hijacking of a commercial flight last summer.”
complex
“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.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the general crime; countable when referring to a specific incident.
Real-World Examples
“The hijackings led to passenger jet crashes in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and Manhattan.” “Given the high price of oil, hijacking a tanker is more lucrative.” Etymology
From hijack + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/hijacking