blackmail
noun
black·mail
ˈblak-ˌmāl 
1
: a tribute anciently exacted on the Scottish border by plundering chiefs in exchange for immunity from pillage
2
a
: extortion or coercion by threats especially of public exposure or criminal prosecution
b
: the payment that is extorted
blackmail
transitive verb
blackmailer
noun
Examples of blackmail in a Sentence
She was a victim of blackmail.
The servant extorted blackmail from her employer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Most remaining material is essentially child pornography and there is no evidence of blackmail or unindicted suspects, the DOJ’s memo said.
—
Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 July 2025
Diddy allegedly recorded many of these encounters, giving him blackmail material to hold over his victims’ heads, prosecutors said at trial.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 2 July 2025
The power of blackmail, though, has been diminished by repetition.
—Andrew Rice, Curbed, 28 June 2025
In most of the test scenarios, Claude Opus responded with blackmail, threatening to expose the engineer’s affair if it was taken offline and replaced.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for blackmail
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Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 July 2025
Diddy allegedly recorded many of these encounters, giving him blackmail material to hold over his victims’ heads, prosecutors said at trial.
—Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 2 July 2025
The power of blackmail, though, has been diminished by repetition.
—Andrew Rice, Curbed, 28 June 2025
In most of the test scenarios, Claude Opus responded with blackmail, threatening to expose the engineer’s affair if it was taken offline and replaced.
—Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for blackmail
Cite this Entry
“Blackmail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blackmail. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
blackmail
noun
black·mail
ˈblak-ˌmāl
1
: the act of forcing a person to do or pay something especially by a threat to reveal a secret
2
: something (as money) obtained through blackmail
blackmail
verb
blackmailer
noun
Etymology
from black (the color) and mail "rent, payment," from Old English māl "agreement," of Norse origin
Word Origin
The word blackmail has no connection at all with the postal system. In the 16th and part of the 17th centuries, the area along the border between England and Scotland was not usually protected by the officials on either side. Landholders were beset not only by outlaws but also by their own chieftains, who told them that in return for payment they would not be raided. In Scotland mail means "rent" or "payment." This word comes ultimately from an Old Norse word māl meaning "agreement" or "speech." The mail delivered by a letter carrier originally meant "sack, bag," and referred to the sack in which letters were carried; it is hence completely distinct in origin from the mail of blackmail.
Legal Definition
blackmail
noun
black·mail
ˈblak-ˌmāl
: extortion or coercion by often written threats especially of public exposure, physical harm, or criminal prosecution
blackmail
transitive verb
blackmailer
noun
-ˌmā-lər
Etymology
originally, payment extorted from farmers in Scotland and northern England, from black + dialectal mail payment, rent
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