Definition

1. Noun:
   • The crime of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats: "Extortion" refers to the illegal act of getting money, property, or services from someone by using coercion, intimidation, or threats of violence.
   • The practice of obtaining something through the abuse of power or authority: It can also describe the act of demanding and taking an excessive or unjust payment, often by someone in a position of power, such as a corrupt official.
   • An exorbitant or excessive charge: In a broader, often figurative sense, "extortion" can refer to a price or demand that is unreasonably high and considered unfair.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The gang was arrested for the extortion of local business owners. (This describes the criminal act of obtaining money through threats.)
  • The official was accused of extortion for demanding bribes to issue permits. (This describes the abuse of authority for personal gain.)
  • Paying five dollars for a bottle of water at the stadium is pure extortion! (This is a figurative use, complaining about an unfairly high price.)

Advanced Usage

• "Extortion racket": A systematic, organized operation of obtaining money through extortion.

  • The criminal organization ran an extortion racket across the city.

• "Blackmail as a form of extortion": While blackmail specifically involves threats to reveal information, it is legally and conceptually a form of extortion.

  • The prosecutor argued that the demands for money, coupled with threats to release the photos, constituted extortion.

Variants and Related Words

• Extort (verb): To obtain something by force, threats, or other unfair means.

  • He was convicted for attempting to extort money from the celebrity.

• Extortionate (adjective): Describing a price or demand that is excessively high and unfair.

  • The interest rates on the loan were extortionate.

• Extortionist (noun): A person who practices extortion.

  • The extortionist was finally caught by the police.

Synonyms

• Blackmail: The act of demanding payment or action by threatening to reveal compromising information.
• Coercion: The practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or threats.
• Racket: A dishonest or fraudulent scheme, often involving extortion.

Related Phrases

• To commit extortion: To carry out the act of extortion.

  • He was found guilty of conspiring to commit extortion.

• A victim of extortion: A person from whom money or property is illegally obtained through threats.

  • The program offers protection for victims of extortion.

Related Idioms

• "Highway robbery": An idiom used to describe a price that is so high it feels like being robbed. This is closely related to the figurative use of "extortion."
  • Twenty dollars for a simple sandwich? That's highway robbery!

Noun

1. the felonious act of extorting money (as by threats of violence)
2. unjust exaction (as by the misuse of authority)
   • the extortion by dishonest officials of fees for performing their sworn duty
3. an exorbitant charge