hostage

noun

hos·​tage ˈhä-stij 

1

a

: a person held by one party in a conflict as a pledge pending the fulfillment of an agreement

b

: a person taken by force to secure the taker's demands

2

: one that is involuntarily controlled by an outside influence

Examples of hostage in a Sentence

The terrorists demanded a plane and a pilot in exchange for the hostages.

The hostage crisis is now entering its second week.

The passengers were taken hostage.

They were held hostage for several days.

Recent Examples on the Web

Israel has negotiated the return of 148 hostages so far, though eight of those hostages were deceased. —Mackenzie Thomas, The Washington Examiner, 24 June 2025

In a statement Tuesday, the group urged leaders to seize the diplomatic momentum to secure the release of the remaining hostages and end the war. —Amanda Castro hannah Parry shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025

The seizure of 52 American diplomats as hostages at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran confronted Jimmy Carter with the question of whether to intervene militarily to free them. —Robert Polner, New York Daily News, 23 June 2025

Other analysts also warned of the potential for Iran to retaliate by taking Americans as hostages or launching cyberattacks. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 22 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hostage, ostage, borrowed from Anglo-French, "lodging, residence, custody of a person held as security against fulfillment of an agreement, the person so held," from hoste "guest, host" + -age -age — more at host entry 1

Note: The peculiar sense shift apparently arose from the Old French use of hostage in verbal phrases such as prendre en hostage "to take in residence, lodge" in reference to the lodging of a person held as surety; the import of hostage was then transferred to the status of such a person, and finally to the actual person.

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing hostage

• a hostage to fortune
• hostage crisis

Kids Definition

hostage

noun

hos·​tage ˈhäs-tij 

: a person held captive as a pledge that promises will be kept or terms met by another