extradition
Americannoun
-
extraditions
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of extradition
From French, dating back to 1830–40; see origin at ex- 1, tradition
Explanation
A legal word, extradition means sending someone back to the country or state where they've been accused of a crime. Getting countries to agree on the terms of extradition can take years. It can be hard enough for lawyers in the U.S. to agree on a person's extradition from one state to another, so you can imagine how difficult it can be for officials from different countries. Extradition can have real consequences for the person being extradited. Suppose the laws there allow for the death penalty: a person accused of a capital crime would be smart to fight extradition to that place. The Latin prefix ex- means "from, out of," and trāditiōn- means "handing over," so extradition is the handing-over of someone from one jurisdiction to another.
Vocabulary lists containing extradition
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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.
See Examples For:
Next week, following his extradition to Germany and months in isolation in a high security prison, Serhii K will go on trial in Hamburg.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
"The prosecutor is bringing a case against him at court now. It is the beginning of the extradition hearing process," Prayuth Pecharakun, spokesman for Thailand's attorney general, told AFP on Thursday.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in July that Bai was suspected of extortion and bribery, and an extradition request had been submitted to Thailand.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Italy abolished the death penalty and prohibits extradition to countries where a defendant may face the death penalty.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Most important, he had no intention of leaving Iceland, because of the threat of extradition to the United States.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
The two men remain in Serbia and the US is co-ordinating with Serbian officials regarding their pending extraditions.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2025
These are not extraditions, because these folks are not being sought by El Salvador on any charges there, and certainly have not gone through any extradition process.
From Slate ● Apr. 8, 2025
But Swedish courts have blocked other extraditions, and Swedish officials have said that they cannot override their country’s free-speech protections.
From New York Times ● Jul. 10, 2023
Months later, the British government enacted policies that “made similar extraditions extremely difficult,” according to the Nelson Hackett Project, a digital work of public scholarship helmed by the University of Arkansas Humanities Center.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 17, 2023
In Peru, all extraditions must be approved by the president.
From Washington Times ● May 11, 2023
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.
