holding hostage

A form of hold hostage — To have possession or custody of (a person) as security for performance against a treaty, a pledge, or a demand, especially now an extra-legal demand.

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Meanings

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of hold hostage
Cite this entry
APA

holding hostage. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holding%20hostage

MLA

“holding hostage.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holding%20hostage. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “holding hostage,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holding%20hostage.

Source: holding hostage on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.