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Kidnaped: meaning, definitions and examples

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kidnaped

 

[ ˈkɪd.næpt ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

illegal act

Kidnaped is an alternative spelling of kidnapped, which refers to the act of unlawfully taking away and holding a person, typically someone who is a minor, against their will. It often involves the use of force or fraud and is commonly associated with ransom demands. Kidnapping is a serious crime that can lead to severe legal consequences. Victims may experience physical and psychological trauma as a result of their ordeal.

Synonyms

abduct, capture, snatch

Examples of usage

  • The child was kidnaped from the park.
  • She feared she might be kidnaped while walking alone.
  • Several cases of kidnaped foreigners have made headlines recently.

Translations

Translations of the word "kidnaped" in other languages:

🇵🇹 sequestrado

🇮🇳 अपहरण किया गया

🇩🇪 entführt

🇮🇩 diculik

🇺🇦 викрадений

🇵🇱 porwany

🇯🇵 誘拐された

🇫🇷 enlevé

🇪🇸 secuestrado

🇹🇷 kurtarıldı

🇰🇷 납치된

🇸🇦 مخطوف

🇨🇿 unesený

🇸🇰 unesený

🇨🇳 被绑架的

🇸🇮 kidnapan

🇮🇸 rænt

🇰🇿 бұғатталған

🇬🇪 გატაცებული

🇦🇿 qaçırılmış

🇲🇽 secuestrado

Etymology

The word 'kidnap' is believed to have originated in the late 17th century. It is thought to derive from the word 'kid' meaning 'young goat' and 'nap' which is a dialect term meaning to seize or to take. The idea behind the term is that young children may be taken away or seized in a similar manner. Initially, 'kidnap' referred to the act of taking away children for the purpose of selling them as slaves. Over time, the meaning has evolved to encompass a broader range of unlawful abductions, including the abduction of adults or for different purposes such as ransom. As laws regarding kidnapping have developed, the term has become a crucial part of legal language in many jurisdictions, reflecting the seriousness of this crime.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #35,584, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.