ransom

n. the money that kidnappers demand before they will let a person go free.

n. a sum of money or other consideration demanded or paid for the release of a person being held as a hostage.

“The kidnappers demanded a huge ransom for the return of the businessman.”

“The government maintained a strict policy of refusing to pay any ransom, arguing that doing so would only encourage further abductions.”

v. to pay money to set someone free from a kidnapper or from prison.

v. to obtain the release of a captive by paying a demanded price.

“The family worked hard to raise enough money to ransom their son.”

“Historically, wealthy families would often ransom their relatives who had been captured during wartime rather than leave them in enemy prisons.”

v. to keep someone as a prisoner until you receive money for their release.

v. to hold a person or property in order to extract a payment for their release.

“The pirates planned to ransom the ship's crew for millions of dollars.”

“The rebel group attempted to ransom the captured officials to fund their ongoing military operations against the state.”

Formal

n. in the past, a sum of money paid to avoid physical punishment for a crime.

n. a sum paid for the pardon of a significant offence or a fine paid in lieu of corporal punishment.

“In medieval times, a lord might pay a ransom to the king to avoid prison.”

“The legal records indicate that the offender was permitted to pay a ransom to the crown, thereby escaping the standard physical penalties of the era.”

Archaic · British English