hostage
noun
a person given or held as security for the fulfillment of certain conditions or terms, promises, etc., by another.
hostages
-
pluralof hostage.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
Ratcliffe has had some success dealing with the Kremlin, such as in helping secure the release of American hostages in Russia, U.S. officials said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
“Once he became Middle East envoy and was given responsibility for the hostages, he became one of the most famous people in Israel overnight,” an Israeli journalist who has covered him told me.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
Friday, the two hostages were released, and at 2:30 a.m. the Hendricksons exited the trailer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026
Ronald Reagan tried as well, and the Iran-Contra affair sprung from misguided hopes of getting the regime to free other U.S. hostages, and from there move past hostility.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
I didn’t feel like we were hostages or anything.
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
