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⇱ extortion - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

extortion

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ɪkˈstɔːrʃən/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ɪkˈstɔrʃən/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(ik stôr′shən)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ex•tor•tion  (ik stôr′shən),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. an act or instance of extorting.
  2. Lawthe 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.
  • Late Latin extortiōn- (stem of extortiō). See extort, -ion
  • Middle English extorcion 1250–1300
    1. 4. blackmail.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
extortion /ɪkˈstɔːʃən/ n
  1. the act of securing money, favours, etc by intimidation or violence; blackmail
exˈtortioner, exˈtortionist n
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ex•tort /ɪkˈstɔrt/USA pronunciation   v. [~ + object]
  1. Lawto obtain (money) from a person by force, threats, violence, etc.:The policeman extorted money from small shopkeepers.
ex•tort•er, n. [countable]
ex•tor•tion /ɪkˈstɔrʃən/USA pronunciation  n. [uncountable]
ex•tor•tion•ist, n. [countable]See -tort-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ex•tort  (ik stôrt′),USA pronunciation v.t. 
  1. Law
    • to wrest or wring (money, information, etc.) from a person by violence, intimidation, or abuse of authority;
      obtain by force, torture, threat, or the like.
    • to take illegally by reason of one's office.
  2. to compel (something) of a person or thing:Her wit and intelligence extorted their admiration.
  • Latin extortus, past participle of extorquēre, equivalent. to ex- ex-1 + torquēre to twist
  • late Middle English (adjective, adjectival) 1375–1425
ex•tort′er, n. 
ex•tor′tive, adj. 
    1. See extract. 
'extortion' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

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