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 This sort of thing was valuable currency when moral blackmail was sufficient to shut down debate over what was best for America’s children. The Editors, National Review, 20 Mar. 2024 Rather than targeting big corporations, the hackers in India’s underground are routinely paid to access personal email accounts, whether by a wife spying on her husband’s financial affairs or a blackmail victim searching for a way out of their predicament. Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 12 Mar. 2024 Elissa had reported the blackmail to the local sheriff, but school officials only dropped the matter after an emotional interrogation of the girl. Michael H. Keller, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2024 The natural comparison to be made here is to Grindr, the gay dating app whose popularity, spyware features, and obvious blackmail potential were swiftly recognized to be an intolerable civic and national-security threat. The Editors, National Review, 12 Mar. 2024 Criminals are posing as age-appropriate romantic targets online, soliciting compromising photos from teenagers, and then using them for blackmail. Heather Kelly, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2024 The National Association of Realtors president is resigning due to alleged blackmail threats. Sarah Al-Arshani, USA TODAY, 9 Jan. 2024 This includes bullying, harassment, blackmail and other toxic behaviors. Dr. Joel M. Rothaizer, McC, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Aaron Bushnell’s self-immolation was an act of moral blackmail, and those who have lionized him want to see more such acts. Noah Rothman, National Review, 27 Feb. 2024

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 28 Mar. 2024.

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

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