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
In January, Israel alleged that 12 of the agency’s 13,000 workers in Gaza took part in the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, during which militants killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages.
—
Claire Parker, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
That is the fastest way to get hostages out and aid in, and to stop the fighting and loss of life.
—Mallory Moench, TIME, 7 Apr. 2024
More than 250 hostages were seized and almost 1,200 people killed during the Oct. 7 attack, Israel says.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
Many people here are angry with the government, with their own leaders for not doing more to bring the remaining hostages home.
—CBS News, 7 Apr. 2024
Around 1,200 people were killed during the attacks, Israeli officials say, and more than 250 hostages were taken to Gaza.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 7 Apr. 2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also delivered remarks at the beginning of a cabinet meeting on Sunday, reiterating that Israel would not agree to any cease-fire unless Hamas frees all remaining hostages.
—Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 7 Apr. 2024
But some 130 hostages, including 99 who are believed still to be alive, remain in Gaza.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
Israel has turned the basic human needs of civilians in Gaza into an instrument of pressure in hostage negotiations with Hamas.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024
Claire Parker, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
That is the fastest way to get hostages out and aid in, and to stop the fighting and loss of life.
—Mallory Moench, TIME, 7 Apr. 2024
More than 250 hostages were seized and almost 1,200 people killed during the Oct. 7 attack, Israel says.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
Many people here are angry with the government, with their own leaders for not doing more to bring the remaining hostages home.
—CBS News, 7 Apr. 2024
Around 1,200 people were killed during the attacks, Israeli officials say, and more than 250 hostages were taken to Gaza.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 7 Apr. 2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also delivered remarks at the beginning of a cabinet meeting on Sunday, reiterating that Israel would not agree to any cease-fire unless Hamas frees all remaining hostages.
—Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 7 Apr. 2024
But some 130 hostages, including 99 who are believed still to be alive, remain in Gaza.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
Israel has turned the basic human needs of civilians in Gaza into an instrument of pressure in hostage negotiations with Hamas.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hostage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hostage
Cite this Entry
“Hostage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hostage. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hostage
noun
hos·tage
ˈhäs-tij 
: a person held captive as a pledge that promises will be kept or terms met by another
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