hostage
noun
hos·tage
| \ ˈhä-stij
\
\
Definition of hostage
1a
: a person held by one party in a conflict as a pledge pending the fulfillment of an agreement
b
: a person taken by force to secure the taker's demands
2
: one that is involuntarily controlled by an outside influence
Examples of hostage in a Sentence
The terrorists demanded a plane and a pilot in exchange for the hostages.
The hostage crisis is now entering its second week.
The passengers were taken hostage.
They were held hostage for several days.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
The incident in Amarillo roughly three years ago involved an armed Walmart employee who took two other workers hostage before being shot to death by local police. — Kate Gibson, CBS News, "Family sues Walmart after both parents were shot in El Paso attack," 4 Sep. 2019 In 2004, more than 1,000 people were taken hostage by heavily armed Chechen militants at a school in Beslan in southern Russia; more than 330 people, more than half of them children, were killed in the three-day ordeal. — orlandosentinel.com, "Today in history: September 1," 2 Sep. 2019 In 2004, more than 1,000 people were taken hostage by heavily armed Chechen militants at a school in Beslan in southern Russia; more than 330 people, more than half of them children, were killed in the three-day ordeal. — BostonGlobe.com, "This day in history," 1 Sep. 2019 Now in its third season, the show follows eight thieves who break into the Royal Mint of Spain and take hostages while their boss manipulates the police into carrying out his criminal plan. — Kathleen Newman-bremang, refinery29.com, "What To Watch On Netflix Canada This Weekend," 25 July 2019 That December, Halprin and six other men took hostages and broke out of the Connally Unit south of San Antonio. — Keri Blakinger, Houston Chronicle, "Execution date set for ‘Texas 7’ prisoner who accused judge of anti-Semitism," 8 July 2019 To an extent, this was a typical Trump bluff: A grandiose claim, appearing to take hostages in an attempt to pressure Democrats in Congress. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, "Trump’s Kick-Off Rally Showcases What the President Does Best," 19 June 2019 The French tourists and two other hostages were rescued. — Sarah Maslin Nir, New York Times, "Benin Awakens to the Threat of Terrorism After Safari Ends in a Nightmare," 20 Aug. 2019 The man released six hostages in the first few hours, authorities said. — Elizabeth Lawrence, USA TODAY, "Man armed with gun, knife, gasoline can takes bus hostage in Brazil," 20 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hostage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for hostage
hostage
noun
English Language Learners Definition of hostage
: a person who is captured by someone who demands that certain things be done before the captured person is freed
See the full definition for hostage in the English Language Learners Dictionary
hostage
noun
hos·tage
| \ ˈhä-stij
\
\
Kids Definition of hostage
: a person who is captured by someone who demands that certain things be done before the captured person is freed
Keep scrolling for more