noun
ransom
RAN-suhm
noun
1
Money demanded or paid to free a hostage or captured person.
"The kidnappers demanded a huge ransom for her release."
"The family paid the ransom within twenty-four hours."
verb
1
To pay money to free someone held captive.
"They managed to ransom the sailors from the pirates."
"The king was ransomed after months of negotiation."
How to Use Ransom
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA payment made to free someone who is being held captive.
Common pairings
pay a ransom
demand a ransom
hold someone to ransom
Word Forms
ransomed past tense, ransoms plural, Ransoms plural, ransoms singular
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The kidnappers demanded a huge _____ for her release.
Etymology
From Old French raençon, ultimately from Latin redemptio, "a buying back" — making ransom a distant word cousin of redemption.