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

Police were called to a bank in a small town in western Germany on Friday to deal with a hostage situation in which the driver of an armored van carrying cash was being held, authorities said. —ABC News, 8 May 2026

Passing a budget and not holding our national security hostage should be at the top of the list. —Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026

More than 72,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas’ 2023 attack, in which militants killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostage. —Wafaa Shurafa, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026

Mohamed Sabry Soliman was sentenced to life in prison for the attack on demonstrators voicing support for Israeli hostages in Gaza. —Karin Brulliard, Washington Post, 7 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