Definition of blackmail
1
: a tribute anciently exacted on the Scottish border by plundering chiefs in exchange for immunity from pillage
2a
: extortion or coercion by threats especially of public exposure or criminal prosecution
b
: the payment that is extorted
Test Your Vocabulary
Name That Food
-
- Name these cookies!

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share blackmail
Time Traveler for blackmail
The first known use of blackmail was in 1552
See more words from the same year