blackmail

noun

black·​mail ˈblak-ˌmāl 

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

Ventura, then on the verge of giving birth, told jurors how Combs allegedly forced her into a decade of freak-offs by using violence and blackmail as leverage against her and her family. —Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 24 June 2025

Run by a network of BM Boys (the BM is short for blackmail), unsuspecting teens are lured into connecting with what looks like a pretty girl on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. —Jeremy H. Gottschalk, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025

But Opus 4 still opted for blackmail 84% of the time when it was led to believe the new AI shared its value system. —Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 24 May 2025

Amid these blackmail reports, which Lively´s camp denied, Lively stepped out with her husband—Ryan Reynolds—who has been steadfastly on her side throughout the whole drama. —Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 19 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

black entry 1 + mail entry 4

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing blackmail

• emotional blackmail

Rhymes for blackmail

• airmail
• assail
• avail
• bewail
• cattail
• cocktail
• curtail
• derail
• detail
• dovetail
• email
• entail

Kids Definition

blackmail

noun

black·​mail ˈblak-ˌmāl 

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 

: 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