hostage

American  

[hos-tij] / ˈhɒs tɪdʒ /

noun

1. a person given or held as security for the fulfillment of certain conditions or terms, promises, etc., by another.

2. Archaic. a security or pledge.

3. Obsolete. the condition of a hostage.

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verb (used with object)

hostaged, hostaging

1. to give (someone) as a hostage.

   He was hostaged to the Indians.

hostage British  

/ ˈhɒstɪdʒ /

noun

1. a person given to or held by a person, organization, etc, as a security or pledge or for ransom, release, exchange for prisoners, etc

2. the state of being held as a hostage

3. any security or pledge

4. to place oneself in a position in which misfortune may strike through the loss of what one values most

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Other Word Forms

• hostageship noun

Etymology

Origin of hostage

1225–75; Middle English < Old French hostage ( h- by association with ( h ) oste host ² ), ostage ≪ Vulgar Latin *obsidāticum state of being a hostage < Latin obsid- (stem of obses ) hostage (equivalent to ob- ob- + sid- sit ¹ ) + -āticum -age

Example Sentences

For instance, President Jimmy Carter sanctioned Iran when it seized U.S. hostages in the 1970s.

From Barron's

Hamas also released 20 living hostages and returned the bodies of 27 others.

From The Wall Street Journal

Paluku meanwhile had a darker expression, recalling his sister who remains a hostage.

From Barron's

“Within 72 hours of Israel publicly accepting this agreement, all hostages, alive and deceased, will be returned.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The first phase of the cease-fire saw the return of all remaining living Israeli hostages and all but one hostage body.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• captive
• prisoner
• victim