Definition of extort
Etymology
From Latin extortus, past participle of extorquere ("to twist or wrench out, to extort"); from ex ("out") + -tort, from torqueō ("twist, turn").
Pronunciation
Verb
to extort (third-person singular simple present extorts, present participle extorting, simple past and past participle extorted)
- (transitive) To wrest from an unwilling person by physical force, menace, duress, torture, or any undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity; to wrench away (from); to tear away; to wring (from); to exact; as, to extort contributions from the vanquished; to extort confessions of guilt; to extort a promise; to extort payment of a debt.
- (transitive, law) To obtain by means of the offense of extortion.
Derived terms
References:
- Wiktionary. Published under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
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