Blackmailed: meaning, definitions and examples
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blackmailed
[ ˈblækˌmeɪld ]
coercion or threat
Blackmailed refers to the act of demanding money or another benefit from someone in return for not revealing compromising or damaging information about them. This usually involves threats of harm or exposure that compel the victim to comply with the demands of the blackmailer. The practice of blackmail is illegal and considered a serious crime in many jurisdictions. It operates on the principles of coercion, where fear is used to manipulate the actions of the victim. Blackmail can take many forms and can involve personal, professional, or sensitive information.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- He was blackmailed into silence.
- She blackmailed him for money.
- The hacker attempted to blackmail the company.
- They threatened to blackmail the politician.
Translations
Translations of the word "blackmailed" in other languages:
🇵🇹 chantage
🇮🇳 ब्लैकमेल किया
🇩🇪 erpresst
🇮🇩 pemerasan
🇺🇦 шантажував
🇵🇱 szantażował
🇯🇵 脅迫された
🇫🇷 chanté
🇪🇸 chantajeado
🇹🇷 şantaj yaptı
🇰🇷 협박당한
🇸🇦 ابتزاز
🇨🇿 vydírán
🇸🇰 vydieraný
🇨🇳 勒索
🇸🇮 izsiljevan
🇮🇸 útrás
🇰🇿 бопсалау
🇬🇪 ბლექმეილირებული
🇦🇿 şantaj edilib
🇲🇽 chantajeado
Word origin
The term 'blackmail' originated in the 16th century in the Scottish Borders, where it initially referred to payments made by farmers to freebooters (bandits) from their plundering. The term itself is derived from the combination of 'black' and 'mail,' where 'mail' refers to 'rent' or 'payment.' The 'black' part of the term evokes the idea of something sinister or illicit. Over time, the meaning of blackmail evolved to represent the coercion of a person to act against their interests through threats or exposure of information. By the 19th century, the contemporary definition we recognize today had largely taken shape, being used in legal contexts to denote the act of extortion and its criminal implications.