extradite
Americanverb (used with object)
-
extradites,
present (3rd person singular)
-
extradited,
past participle, past
-
extraditing
present participle
-
to give up (an alleged fugitive or criminal) to another state or nation at its request.
-
to obtain the extradition of.
verb
-
to surrender (an alleged offender) for trial to a foreign state
-
to procure the extradition of
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
extraditesimple
-
extraditessimple
-
have extraditedperfect
-
has extraditedperfect
-
am extraditingprogressive
-
are extraditingprogressive
-
is extraditingprogressive
-
have been extraditingperfect progressive
-
has been extraditingperfect progressive
Past
-
extraditedsimple
-
had extraditedperfect
-
was extraditingprogressive
-
were extraditingprogressive
-
had been extraditingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of extradite
First recorded in 1860–65; back formation from extradition
Explanation
When a government extradites someone, it delivers that person to another country or state, usually to be tried for a crime. Treaties between countries often require them to extradite suspected criminals. You might hear about a criminal attempting to hide in one country, only to have its government extradite him back to the place where he committed the crime. While individual countries sometimes resist the pressure to extradite suspects, treaties between countries often encourage them to do so. The verb extradite comes from its noun form, extradition, which was likely invented by Voltaire from a combination of the Latin ex, "out," and traditionem, "a delivering up or handing over."
Vocabulary lists containing extradite
This Week in Words: April 6–12, 2019
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
In Cold Blood
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Devil in the White City
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
One recalls the British detectives setting out the evidence they believed met the threshold for the Americans to extradite Bayoumi to face charges in the US.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
Minnesota asked a federal judge to order Texas to extradite Castro to face the charges filed there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
Following Rocha Moya’s indictment, Washington demanded that Mexico arrest the governor and extradite him to the United States.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
While Sharaa praised Russia's "historic role" in Syria and the region, Damascus has repeatedly demanded that it extradite Assad, who has been sheltering in Moscow with his wife since his ouster.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
It had also been a year since the governor of Pennsylvania had agreed to extradite Wes to his home state of Maryland to await trial.
From "The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates" by Wes Moore
Mexico long ago abolished capital punishment and typically extradites its citizens on the condition they are spared death.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2025
It would be a shame if the UK becomes a party to this travesty of justice and extradites Alexander back to Bucharest.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 9, 2018
He had been safe in Paris, because he had a French passport and France rarely extradites its own citizens.
From The New Yorker ● May 23, 2016
No announcement has yet been made, and a Justice Department official said Monday that no decision had been reached on where Guzman would be sent once Mexico actually extradites him.
From US News ● Jan. 12, 2016
Mexico regularly extradites leading traffickers but the government of President Enrique Pena Nieto resisted handing over Guzman after his Feb. 2014 arrest as a point of national pride.
From Reuters ● Jan. 11, 2016
Three suspects were arrested in Latvia and extradited to Estonia earlier this month.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
Not long after Oxford’s confession, authorities tracked down Travis, who was in jail for an unrelated warrant in Boulder, Colorado, and had him extradited to Oklahoma.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
First hit by US sanctions in 2019, Saab was arrested in Cape Verde in 2020 and extradited to the United States the following year.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
But he is unlikely to be extradited to the U.S.,
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Holmes confessed to the fraud and agreed to be extradited to Philadelphia for trial.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Instead, he asked the Texas secretary of state to consider whether Castro was a fugitive, and he refused to reach a decision on extraditing him until that question was answered.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
Sheinbaum responded to the indictments by requesting the US provide "irrefutable" evidence against Rocha Moya before potentially extraditing him.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
The Australian government will not deport Mr Sirul back to Malaysia, due to a longstanding policy of not extraditing people to countries where they face execution.
From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2023
Bovey argued that extraditing Rossi would be a “flagrant breach” of his human rights.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 2, 2023
It was, however, only when the alleged crime was recent and followed up promptly that the rigid rule of extraditing slaves accused of crime was applied.
From The Journal of Negro History, Volume 5, 1920 by Various
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.
