extortion

[ik-stawr-shuhn]

noun

1. an act or instance of extorting.

   Synonyms: blackmail

2. Law.,  the crime of obtaining money or some other thing of value by the abuse of one's office or authority.

3. oppressive or illegal exaction, as of excessive price or interest.

   the extortions of usurers.

4. anything extorted.

   Synonyms: blackmail

Other Word Forms

• nonextortion noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of extortion¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English extorcion, from Late Latin extortiōn-, stem of extortiō, literally, “a twisting away,” from extort(us) + -iō noun suffix; extort, -ion

Example Sentences

Anthropic, which makes the chatbot Claude, says its tools were used by hackers "to commit large-scale theft and extortion of personal data".

From BBC

But there are concerns that those who have been forced to pay extortions could also be accused of having provided "material support" to these groups - even if it was coerced.

From BBC

The author contends that settling would signal weakness and invite future extortion attempts, warning that “give a bully your lunch money once, and they’ll keep coming back for more.”

From Los Angeles Times

“He has threatened us through extortion with a billion-dollar fine, unless we do his bidding,” Newsom said, adding that California would sue.

From Los Angeles Times

“They are known for engaging in murder, car bombings and extortion rackets throughout the world.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• coercion 
• fraud 
• shakedown 
• theft 

When To Use

What does extortion mean?

Extortion is the act of extorting—using violence, threats, intimidation, or pressure from one’s authority to force someone to hand over money (or something else of value) or do something they don’t want to do.The verb extort is commonly used in this literal way, but it can also be used in a more general or figurative way meaning to overcharge for something or to obtain through relentless and unreasonable demands. These senses liken such actions to the actual crime of extortion, as in The way they raise tuition every semester is extortion, if you ask me.A person who engages in extortion can be called an extortionist or an extortioner. Such actions can be described as extortionary.Example: The mob regularly uses extortion to squeeze money out of small business owners through intimidation.