Noun: blackmail 'blak,meyl
- Extortion of money by threats to divulge discrediting information
"He was arrested for blackmail after threatening to expose the politician's affair"
- Exert pressure on someone through threats
"The mob blackmailed the shopkeeper into paying for 'protection'";
- blackjack, pressure
- Demand money or other benefits by threatening to reveal compromising information
"He blackmailed his former employer with sensitive company documents"
Derived forms: blackmailed, blackmailing, blackmails
Type of: act upon, extort, extortion, influence, work
Encyclopedia: Blackmail