bondsman
1 Americannoun
plural
bondsmennoun
plural
bondsmennoun
-
law a person bound by bond to act as surety for another
-
another word for bondservant
Etymology
Origin of bondsman1
1725–35; bond's man man of the bond, i.e., its signer; see bond 1, 's 1, man
Origin of bondsman2
First recorded in 1250–1300, bondsman is from the Middle English word bondesman. See bond 2, 's 1, man
Explanation
A bondsman is a person or company that loans money to bail someone out of jail while their case is being tried. The word bondsman was historically used to mean "enslaved person," or "man in bondage." Today, it's someone whose job involves issuing loans to defendants who must pay bail to get out of jail. Bail bondsmen are illegal in nearly every country except the U.S. — profiting from the bail system, as bondsmen do, is widely viewed as unethical. As well as loaning money, bondsmen are often responsible for tracking down defendants who fail to repay their loans.
Vocabulary lists containing bondsman
"Let America Be America Again"
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Vocabulary from Readings 4, Unit 1
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Vocabulary from Readings 3, Unit 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The long-awaited Anderson picture follows the equally long-awaited juggernaut, “No Time to Die,” starring Seydoux as Madeleine Swann opposite the outgoing Bondsman Daniel Craig.
From New York Times • Oct. 8, 2021
Bondsman Michael Way, of Emmett, works with Delaney and said he has the right to enter people’s homes or vehicles because it is part of the bond agreement.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 22, 2018
In other columns, Breslin presented an array of recurring characters: Klein the Lawyer, Shelly the Bail Bondsman, Un Occhio the mob boss.
From The Guardian • Mar. 19, 2017
The result is alluring even if you aren’t a Bondsman.
From New York Times • Nov. 15, 2012
And while Shoop had told Bondsman that he would be away some little time, Bondsman would have known it without the telling.
From Jim Waring of Sonora-Town Tang of Life by Knibbs, Henry Herbert
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
