extradite

American  

[ek-struh-dahyt] / ˈɛk strəˌdaɪt /

verb (used with object)

extradites, present (3rd person singular) extradited, past participle, past extraditing present participle

1. to give up (an alleged fugitive or criminal) to another state or nation at its request.

2. to obtain the extradition of.

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extradite British  

/ ˈɛkstrəˌdaɪt /

verb

1. to surrender (an alleged offender) for trial to a foreign state

2. to procure the extradition of

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unextradited
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• extraditing
  present
• extradited
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• extradite
  simple
• extradites
  simple
• have extradited
  perfect
• has extradited
  perfect
• am extraditing
  progressive
• are extraditing
  progressive
• is extraditing
  progressive
• have been extraditing
  perfect progressive
• has been extraditing
  perfect progressive

Past

• extradited
  simple
• had extradited
  perfect
• was extraditing
  progressive
• were extraditing
  progressive
• had been extraditing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will extradite
  simple
• will have extradited
  perfect
• will be extraditing
  progressive
• will have been extraditing
  perfect progressive

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

extradite extradites extradited extraditing

Prosecutors will seek to extradite Villafranca, according to the district attorney’s office spokeswoman, who would not say if prosecutors have any idea where he is.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

Portuguese authorities have refused France’s request to extradite him, saying the alleged crimes were committed on Portuguese territory.

From Barron's ● May 23, 2026

Do Mexican authorities move to arrest the Sinaloa governor and the others and extradite them to the United States — as Washington is demanding?

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026

Brazilian judicial authorities have declared him a fugitive, and in December the country's supreme court asked the US to extradite him.

From BBC ● Apr. 16, 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

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

Rubio said he hoped that the Mexican government extradites Guzman to the United States.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 2016

The suspect will remain in custody until they can be extradited to Solano County, police said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

Lyons, who was not present in court, has no possibility of an appeal and is expected to be extradited shortly.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

AFP accompanied a training exercise for the elite military squad behind the operations against "El Mencho" and Ovidio Guzman, the son of "El Chapo" who was captured in 2023 and extradited to the United States.

From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026

In December 2024, Badea and Stana were extradited from Romania to stand trial for the stabbing, but Andrei could not be extradited because he had to first face legal proceedings in Romania.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 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

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

Det Supt Chris Doggart, from GMP, said Pakistani authorities detained him in 2017 and arrested him with the intention of extraditing him to the UK.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2024

Broidy said he conveyed this to various officials in Washington, including at the White House, telling then-Chief of Staff Reince Priebus that extraditing Guo would be “an incredible step forward” in U.S.-China relations.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 4, 2023

Sweden's government has said it takes Turkey's allegations seriously but added there are some demands, such as extraditing people that Turkey deems harmful, that it cannot meet.

From Reuters ● Mar. 30, 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

Related Words

• abandon
• apprehend
• arrest
• surrender