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

The Soviets had invaded Afghanistan, American hostages had been taken in Iran and an oil crisis had been slowing down a country in desperate need of a morale boost. —Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2025

Russian forces seized the nuclear plant and its surrounding area in the early days of Moscow’s full-scale invasion, overrunning the plant in February 2022 and holding staff hostage. —Kara Fox, CNN Money, 6 Dec. 2025

The former hostage was addressing a group of over 1,000 Christian pastors, youth leaders, educators and social media influencers attending a week-long summit in Israel, according to The Jerusalem Post. —Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 6 Dec. 2025

Israel sent a delegation last week to Egypt for talks on returning the remains of the last hostage. —CBS News, 6 Dec. 2025

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