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- Dictionaryblack·mail/ˈblakˌmāl/
noun
- 1. the action, treated as a criminal offense, of demanding payment or another benefit from someone in return for not revealing compromising or damaging information about them: "they were acquitted of charges of blackmail"
verb
- 1. demand money or another benefit from (someone) in return for not revealing compromising or damaging information about them: "trying to blackmail him for $400,000" Similar
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Blackmail is the act of threatening to harm someone or reveal a secret unless they do what you want. Learn more about the noun and verb forms, synonyms, idioms and business usage of blackmail with Cambridge Dictionary.
Learn the origin, history, and usage of the word blackmail, which means extortion or coercion by threats of exposure or prosecution. See examples, synonyms, related phrases, and legal definition of blackmail.
Blackmail definition: any payment extorted by intimidation, as by threats of injurious revelations or accusations.. See examples of BLACKMAIL used in a sentence.
Blackmail is a criminal act of coercion using a threat. As a criminal offence, blackmail is defined in various ways in common law jurisdictions. In the United States, blackmail is generally defined as a crime of information, involving a threat to do something that would cause a person to suffer embarrassment or financial loss.
To blackmail someone is to use secret information to get something from them, usually money. Blackmailing is a crime. Blackmail is a type of threat. For example, if a politician's assistant knew the politician was having an affair, the assistant could blackmail the politician by threatening to tell the press.
Blackmail is the action of threatening to reveal a secret about someone, unless they do something you tell them to do, such as giving you money. Learn more about the word origin, synonyms, pronunciation, and usage of blackmail in different contexts.
noun. the act of attempting to obtain money by intimidation, as by threats to disclose discreditable information. the exertion of pressure or threats, esp unfairly, in an attempt to influence someone's actions. verb. to exact or attempt to exact (money or anything of value) from (a person) by threats or intimidation; extort.
