blackmail

noun

black·​mail ˈblak-ˌmāl How to pronounce blackmail (audio)
1
: a tribute anciently exacted on the Scottish border by plundering chiefs in exchange for immunity from pillage
2
a
: extortion or coercion by threats especially of public exposure or criminal prosecution
b
: the payment that is extorted
blackmail transitive verb
blackmailer noun

Examples of blackmail in a Sentence

She was a victim of blackmail. The servant extorted blackmail from her employer.
Recent Examples on the Web From the unsubstantiated premise that Biden has taken bribes, Trump goes on to allege foreign blackmail caused Biden to take certain actions. Isaac Arnsdorf, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Sep. 2023 The implication is that Judge Guy's little black blackmail book is involved; Downey either made a deal to get her own page removed, or to get the book herself for general corruption reasons. Evan Romano, Men's Health, 29 Aug. 2023 This is called blackmail, and blackmail should not be tolerated. Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner, 18 July 2023 The two, who met online, faced a 12-count indictment including blackmail, fraud, and hacking charges. Time, 25 Aug. 2023 The charges include serious computer misuse, blackmail, and fraud against the chip developer Nvidia. Christopher Hutton, Washington Examiner, 23 Aug. 2023 His novel of the same name features an urban standoff between a lawman and a trigger-happy outlaw with a citywide blackmail plot. Brett Williams, Men's Health, 1 Aug. 2023 The suit says Williams did not bring up the blackmail during this discussion. Sabrina Leboeuf, Baltimore Sun, 1 Aug. 2023 An external security firm conducted those interviews, and job candidates said that the firm intended to find information that could make candidates vulnerable to blackmail. Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 30 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blackmail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of blackmail was in 1552

Dictionary Entries Near blackmail

Cite this Entry

“Blackmail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blackmail. Accessed 30 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

blackmail

noun
black·​mail ˈblak-ˌmāl How to pronounce blackmail (audio)
1
: the act of forcing a person to do or pay something especially by a threat to reveal a secret
2
: something (as money) obtained through blackmail
blackmail verb
blackmailer noun
Etymology

from black (the color) and mail "rent, payment," from Old English māl "agreement," of Norse origin

Word Origin
The word blackmail has no connection at all with the postal system. In the 16th and part of the 17th centuries, the area along the border between England and Scotland was not usually protected by the officials on either side. Landholders were beset not only by outlaws but also by their own chieftains, who told them that in return for payment they would not be raided. In Scotland mail means "rent" or "payment." This word comes ultimately from an Old Norse word māl meaning "agreement" or "speech." The mail delivered by a letter carrier originally meant "sack, bag," and referred to the sack in which letters were carried; it is hence completely distinct in origin from the mail of blackmail.

Legal Definition

blackmail

noun
black·​mail ˈblak-ˌmāl How to pronounce blackmail (audio)
: extortion or coercion by often written threats especially of public exposure, physical harm, or criminal prosecution
blackmail transitive verb
blackmailer
-ˌmā-lər
noun
Etymology

originally, payment extorted from farmers in Scotland and northern England, from black + dialectal mail payment, rent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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