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

According to the ceasefire, Israel has agreed to return 15 Palestinian bodies for each hostage recovered. —Arkansas Online, 27 Nov. 2025

On Tuesday, Israel returned the bodies of 15 Palestinians in exchange for the remains of Israeli hostage Dror Or. —Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 26 Nov. 2025

Jim Hopper Hopper (David Harbour) is back from his hostage situation in Soviet Russia, and reunited with Eleven, thanks to a rescue mission led by Joyce. —Jennifer Maas, Variety, 26 Nov. 2025

The release of his remains comes after a series of such transfers in recent weeks as Hamas has handed over the deceased hostages still in Gaza. —Mohammed Tawfeeq, CNN Money, 26 Nov. 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