hostage
/'hɔstidʤ/
Definition
- Noun:
- A person held as security: A hostage is a person who is seized or held by one party, typically to compel another party to act in a certain way, such as meeting demands or terms.
- A pledge or guarantee: In a broader, often figurative sense, a hostage can be something given or held as a security or guarantee for the fulfillment of an agreement.
Usage
- The primary use is to describe a person who is captured and detained to force concessions (e.g., payment, prisoner release, political actions) from a government, organization, or individual.
- It is commonly used in contexts of crime, terrorism, warfare, and negotiations.
- The word is often used with verbs like , , , , and .
Examples
- Noun:
- The terrorists took three diplomats as hostages.
- He was held hostage for over a year before being released.
- The agreement requires the exchange of hostages as a guarantee of peace.
Advanced Usage
- "A hostage to fortune": A person or thing that is vulnerable to misfortune or unpredictable circumstances because of a commitment or situation.
- By making such a bold promise, he gave his critics a hostage to fortune.
- "Hostage situation": A specific incident where one or more hostages are being held, often requiring a negotiated resolution.
- Police negotiators were called to the hostage situation at the bank.
Variants and Related Words
- Hostage-taker (n): A person or group that seizes and holds hostages.
- The hostage-takers issued a list of demands.
- Hostage-taking (n): The act of seizing and holding hostages.
- The act of hostage-taking is condemned under international law.
Synonyms
- Captive: A person who has been taken prisoner, especially in war.
- Prisoner: A person captured and kept confined.
- Pawn: (Figurative) A person used by others for their own purposes, similar to being a tool in a larger scheme.
Related Phrases
- To hold someone hostage: To detain someone as a hostage.
- The rebels threatened to hold the villagers hostage unless their leader was freed.
- To be held hostage to something: (Figurative) To be constrained or controlled by a particular situation or factor.
- The project's success was held hostage to the unreliable weather.
Idioms
- A hostage to fortune: As mentioned in advanced usage, this idiom refers to a person, promise, or possession that makes one vulnerable to future misfortune or chance.
- Having such a valuable but fragile antique is a hostage to fortune.
Noun
-
a prisoner who is held by one party to insure that another party will meet specified terms
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