the redemption of a prisoner or kidnapped person, of captured goods, etc., for a price.
the sum or price paid or demanded.
a means of deliverance or rescue from punishment for sin, especially the payment of a redemptive fine.
to redeem from captivity, bondage, detention, etc., by paying a demanded price.
to release or restore on receipt of a ransom.
to deliver or redeem from punishment for sin.
the release of captured prisoners, property, etc, on payment of a stipulated price
the price demanded or stipulated for such a release
rescue or redemption of any kind
to keep (prisoners, property, etc) in confinement until payment for their release is made or received
to attempt to force (a person or persons) to comply with one's demands
a very large amount of money or valuables
to pay a stipulated price and so obtain the release of (prisoners, property, etc)
to set free (prisoners, property, etc) upon receiving the payment demanded
to redeem; rescue
Christ ransomed men from sin
What does ransom mean? A ransom is the money or goods demanded to be paid in exchange for the release of a captured or kidnapped person or piece of property. Ransom also commonly refers to the amount of money that the captor demands. It can also refer to such an exchange or the act of releasing a person or property for a price, as in The duke’s ransom depended on his wife gathering all the money demanded. Ransom can also be used as a verb meaning to get a person or property released by paying a price, as in I had to ransom my toy from the bully for $10. It can also mean to release a captive after receiving a ransom, as in Each prisoner was ransomed for $500. Less commonly, ransom can be used in a religious context to mean to redeem or deliver someone from punishment for sin, as Christians believe Jesus did. A person who holds someone in exchange for a ransom is called a ransomer. Ransomware is software that is illegally put on a computer and prevents users from accessing their data without paying a ransom. Example: The kidnapper demanded a hefty ransom before he released the princess to her father.
See redeem.
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English noun ranso(u)n, rançoun, from Old French rançon, reançon from Late Latin redēmptiōn- (stem of redēmptiō ) redemption; verb derivative of the noun
If you’re ever kidnapped, you’d probably be worth millions in ransom. Ransom is the money demanded for the release of a captive. You’ve probably heard the phrase “held for ransom.” That means someone has been captured and is being held prisoner until a sum of money is delivered to the captors. Ransom can refer to the money paid, but it can also be a verb that describes paying for the release of someone being held. If you have to ransom your best friend, that means you’re paying his captors to release him.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A ransom note sent electronically falls under the jurisdiction of federal law enforcement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
The sheriff’s office asked anyone with information about Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance or the ransom notes to contact investigators, saying even seemingly minor details could prove significant as the search continues.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2026
For months, The Times and other outlets have released portions of the ransom notes based on information from law enforcement sources, but Friday marked the first time the letters were fully made public.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Savannah Guthrie has said some ransom notes sent to the family were believed to be fake.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The plan was to wheel Kuda straight into the middle of the gathering and announce that Mrs. Horsepool-Worthingham was holding them for ransom.
From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer
Ransom payments are estimated to run into millions of dollars annually, according to official data.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Ransom felt lucky to sell his business since the vast majority – 70% – of businesses fail to find a buyer, according to Teamshares.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
“This is the worst of the five businesses managed-care companies participate in,” says John Ransom, an analyst at Raymond James.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 23, 2025
John Ransom, who covers healthcare services, likes CVS Health.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2025
Emanuel Ransom, a board member who believed the refugee community didn’t help enough with the center’s upkeep, thought the Decatur-DeKalb YMCA, which sponsored the Fugees, should pay more for the program’s use of the field.
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
It was definitely not cheap paying off these pirates, whether it was ransoms or tariffs.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
A 2022 law criminalised the payment of ransoms, but enforcement is difficult and families often resort to paying to secure the release of relatives.
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2026
It is a lucrative money-spinner but the government consistently denies paying ransoms.
From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2025
In fact, it is illegal to pay ransoms in Nigeria.
From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2025
The King of England had ordered that there were to be no ransoms in hit sort of battle.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
King Richard was captured on his way back from the Middle East and ransomed for 150,000 silver marks—approximately three times the annual income of the English Crown.
From Barron's ● Mar. 19, 2026
After two were released for medical reasons and three others ransomed by a third party for an undisclosed amount, the remaining 12 went free Dec. 16 after what they described as an overnight escape.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 14, 2022
This thriller — in which a flight attendant is on a plane to Sydney when her 5-year-old daughter is ransomed — is notable for its capacity to get into the heads of its characters.
From New York Times ● Mar. 11, 2022
He was eventually freed, returned to Gambia, and ransomed fellow Muslims who were enslaved.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 18, 2021
They were only there a short time, though; one morning two other brothers arrived under a peace banner with a chest of gold, and ransomed them from the knights who'd cap-tured them.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
The Talmud, a set of commentaries on the Torah, specifically condones ransoming of hostages as a communal responsibility, and many ancient scholars considered being hostage a fate worse than death.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 4, 2023
Experts say the trend towards ransoming sensitive private information could affect companies not just operationally but through reputation damage.
From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2021
Beric also promises to reunite Arya with her mother and brother in Riverrun, albeit by ransoming her off.
From The Verge ● Apr. 25, 2019
Simone’s situation sounds dramatic enough to hold an episode of “Homeland” — in fact, the ransoming of Carrie Mathison’s top-secret computer files drove a plot point on the Showtime series last season.
From Fox News ● Oct. 12, 2018
And afterwards let there either be free dismissals or ransoming, till the war hath laid down its burdens.
From A Critical Exposition of the Popular 'Jihád' Showing that all the Wars of Mohammad Were Defensive; and that Aggressive War, or Compulsory Conversion, is not Allowed in The Koran - 1885 by Cherágh Ali
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.
