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
She quickly gets embroiled in a nasty war of blackmail and stalking, and with the help of an unscrupulous life coach, matters escalate way too far.
—
K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 13 June 2025
Maybe Claude Opus 4 cheerfully suggested blackmail because it had never been shown that blackmail was bad.
—Cal Newport, New Yorker, 3 June 2025
Casandra Ventura, the singer and model known as Cassie, told a jury in Manhattan on Wednesday that her life with Sean Combs had its moments, but was largely filled with beatings, threatened blackmail and even a rape.
—Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 15 May 2025
The average customer-service representative probably won’t start cursing callers, just as the average executive assistant isn’t likely to resort to blackmail.
—Cal Newport, New Yorker, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for blackmail
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 13 June 2025
Maybe Claude Opus 4 cheerfully suggested blackmail because it had never been shown that blackmail was bad.
—Cal Newport, New Yorker, 3 June 2025
Casandra Ventura, the singer and model known as Cassie, told a jury in Manhattan on Wednesday that her life with Sean Combs had its moments, but was largely filled with beatings, threatened blackmail and even a rape.
—Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 15 May 2025
The average customer-service representative probably won’t start cursing callers, just as the average executive assistant isn’t likely to resort to blackmail.
—Cal Newport, New Yorker, 3 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 19 Jun. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share