Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Illegal use of one's official position or powers to obtain property, funds, or patronage.
  • noun The act or an instance of extorting something, as by psychological pressure.
  • noun An excessive or exorbitant charge.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The act of extorting; the act or practice of wresting anything from a person by force, duress, menace, authority, or any undue exercise of power; oppressive or illegal exaction, as of excessive price, rent, or interest.
  • noun In law, strictly, the crime of obtaining money or other property, or service, from another under color of public office, when none is due, or not so much is due, or before it is due. In some of the United States, however, a wider meaning is given to the word by statute.
  • noun That which is extorted; a gross overcharge: as, the price you paid was an extortion.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The act of extorting; the act or practice of wresting anything from a person by force, by threats, or by any undue exercise of power; undue exaction; overcharge.
  • noun (Law) The offense committed by an officer who corruptly claims and takes, as his fee, money, or other thing of value, that is not due, or more than is due, or before it is due.
  • noun That which is extorted or exacted by force.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The practice of extorting money or other property by the use of force or threats.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an exorbitant charge
  • noun unjust exaction (as by the misuse of authority)
  • noun the felonious act of extorting money (as by threats of violence)

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Their pertinacity in extortion is said to be marvellous.

    Glimpses of Life and Manners in Persia 1856

  • But Jean-Philippe Chauzy, a spokesman for the IOM, said interviews with 14 Libyan migrants reaching Lampedusa on three vessels over the weekend confirmed a pattern of payments to officials, which he characterized as extortion.

    Libyan Officials Profit From Migrants Richard Boudreaux 2011

  • He claimed his former employee try to blackmail him and said he paid her what he called extortion money and was afraid to go to authorities.

    CNN Transcript Apr 29, 2006 2006

  • He claimed his former employee try to blackmail him and said he paid her what he called extortion money and was afraid to go to authorities.

    CNN Transcript Apr 29, 2006 2006

  • They are involved in extortion, kidnapping, robberies, etc.etc. -- and many of their crimes are against normal citizens (tianguis vendors, small business owners) not just the wealthy.

    Safety in Michoacan 2009

  • They are involved in extortion, kidnapping, robberies, etc.etc. -- and many of their crimes are against normal citizens (tianguis vendors, small business owners) not just the wealthy.

    Safety in Michoacan 2009

  • In addition to drug trafficking, authorities say, the Zetas are involved in extortion, kidnapping, producing pirated CDs and DVDs, sales of alcohol and migrant smuggling.

    13 high school and college students killed at a party in Cd. J�arez 2010

  • They are involved in extortion, kidnapping, robberies, etc.etc. -- and many of their crimes are against normal citizens (tianguis vendors, small business owners) not just the wealthy. jennifer rose

    Safety in Michoacan 2009

  • For them the threat of kidnapping and extortion is what concerns them the most and, I would argue, this phenomenon is ubiquitous throughout the Republic.

    The myth that no place in Mexico is safe... 2009

  • They are involved in extortion, kidnapping, robberies, etc.etc. -- and many of their crimes are against normal citizens (tianguis vendors, small business owners) not just the wealthy. jennifer rose

    Safety in Michoacan 2009

Comments

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  • 'She mutely offered a kiss, an offer taken unfair advantage of, to the extortion of about a hundred kisses.' -Shirley, by Charlotte Bronte

    February 19, 2008