extortion

UK: /ɪkˈstɔː^rʃ^ən/ US: /ɪkˈstɔrʃən/ ,(ik stôr′shən)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ex•tor•tion  (ik stôr′shən), n. 

1. an act or instance of extorting.
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.

• Late Latin extortiōn- (stem of extortiō). See extort, -ion
• Middle English extorcion 1250–1300

Synonyms

• 1, 4. blackmail.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

extortion / ɪkˈstɔːʃən/ noun

1. the act of securing money, favours, etc by intimidation or violence; blackmail

exˈtortioner, exˈtortionist noun

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ex•tort /ɪkˈstɔrt/   v. [~ + object]

1. Law to 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/  n. [uncountable]
ex•tor•tion•ist, n. [countable] See -tort-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ex•tort  (ik stôrt′), 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. 
Synonyms

• 1. See extract.