Blackmail: meaning, definitions and examples
๐ฐ
blackmail
[ หblakmeษชl ]
crime
The action, treated as a criminal offense, of demanding money from a person in return for not revealing compromising or damaging information about that person.
Synonyms
extortion, intimidation, threat
Examples of usage
- He was arrested for attempting to blackmail a wealthy businessman.
- The politician was caught in a blackmail scandal.
crime
To demand money or other benefits from someone in return for not revealing compromising or damaging information about that person.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- The criminal attempted to blackmail the CEO of the company.
- She was being blackmailed with threats of exposure.
Translations
Translations of the word "blackmail" in other languages:
๐ต๐น chantagem
๐ฎ๐ณ เคฌเฅเคฒเฅเคเคฎเฅเคฒ
๐ฉ๐ช Erpressung
๐ฎ๐ฉ pemerasan
๐บ๐ฆ ัะฐะฝัะฐะถ
๐ต๐ฑ szantaลผ
๐ฏ๐ต ่ ่ฟซ
๐ซ๐ท chantage
๐ช๐ธ chantaje
๐น๐ท ลantaj
๐ฐ๐ท ํ๋ฐ
๐ธ๐ฆ ุงุจุชุฒุงุฒ
๐จ๐ฟ vydรญrรกnรญ
๐ธ๐ฐ vydieranie
๐จ๐ณ ๆฒ่ฏ
๐ธ๐ฎ izsiljevanje
๐ฎ๐ธ hรณtun
๐ฐ๐ฟ ะฑะพะฟัะฐะปะฐั
๐ฌ๐ช แจแแแขแแแ
๐ฆ๐ฟ ลantaj
๐ฒ๐ฝ chantaje
Word origin
The term 'blackmail' originated in the mid-16th century, combining 'black' in the sense of 'evil' or 'sinister' with 'mail' meaning 'payment.' It originally referred to protection money paid to marauders or to extortion in general. Over time, it evolved to specifically denote the act of demanding money or other benefits under threat of revealing damaging information.
See also: black, blackbird, blackboard, blacken, blackened, blackening, blackhead, blacklist, blackness, blackout.