hostage

noun

hos·​tage ˈhä-stij 

1

a

: a person held by one party in a conflict as a pledge pending the fulfillment of an agreement

b

: a person taken by force to secure the taker's demands

2

: one that is involuntarily controlled by an outside influence

Examples of hostage in a Sentence

The terrorists demanded a plane and a pilot in exchange for the hostages.

The hostage crisis is now entering its second week.

The passengers were taken hostage.

They were held hostage for several days.

Recent Examples on the Web

They are accused of using several ruses to force their way into people’s homes, assaulting unsuspecting residents and holding them hostage for their own money, and demanding access to their crypto accounts. —Andy Rose, CNN Money, 14 May 2026

During the most recent case on March 10, an officer was shot and a suspect was killed during a hostage standoff at a home in the Glen neighborhood. —Jt Moodee Lockman, CBS News, 14 May 2026

Another former hostage, Romi Gonen, 25, told Israel’s Channel 12 last month that she had been repeatedly raped by multiple men during her two years in captivity. —Matt Bradley, NBC news, 14 May 2026

The report documented assaults at multiple sites, including the Nova music festival, where hundreds were killed and others taken hostage. —Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hostage, ostage, borrowed from Anglo-French, "lodging, residence, custody of a person held as security against fulfillment of an agreement, the person so held," from hoste "guest, host" + -age -age — more at host entry 1

Note: The peculiar sense shift apparently arose from the Old French use of hostage in verbal phrases such as prendre en hostage "to take in residence, lodge" in reference to the lodging of a person held as surety; the import of hostage was then transferred to the status of such a person, and finally to the actual person.

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing hostage

• a hostage to fortune
• hostage crisis

Kids Definition

hostage

noun

hos·​tage ˈhäs-tij 

: a person held captive as a pledge that promises will be kept or terms met by another