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Definition of hostage

hostage

/ˈhɑː.stɪdʒ/
hos · tage
Plural:hostages
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hostage Lexical Profile

hostage Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A person seized or held as security for the fulfillment of a condition, demand, or ransom.

Example

"The negotiators worked through the night to secure the safe release of every hostage."

2

A person or thing that is controlled, constrained, or placed at the mercy of an external circumstance or force.

Example

"Without diversified energy sources, the local economy remained a hostage to fluctuating oil prices."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Nearby Words

hoss
host
hosta
hostage
hostel
hostess
hostile

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from Old French ostage (Modern French otage), meaning a person given as security for the fulfillment of an agreement, derived from Vulgar Latin obsidaticum and Latin obses ('hostage, surety'), influenced in spelling by Latin hospes ('guest, host').

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Hostage. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/hostage
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