What is "ransom"

Ransom \Ran"som\ (r[a^]n"s[u^]m), n. [OE. raunson, raunsoun, OF. ran[,c]on, raen[,c]on, raan[,c]on, F. ran[,c]on, fr. L. redemptio, fr. redimere to redeem. See Redeem, and cf. Redemption.]

1. The release of a captive, or of captured property, by payment of a consideration; redemption; as, prisoners hopeless of ransom.
   --Dryden.

2. The money or price paid for the redemption of a prisoner, or for goods captured by an enemy; payment for freedom from restraint, penalty, or forfeit.

   Thy ransom paid, which man from death redeems.
   --Milton.

   His captivity in Austria, and the heavy ransom he paid for his liberty.
   --Sir J. Davies.

3. (O. Eng. Law) A sum paid for the pardon of some great offense and the discharge of the offender; also, a fine paid in lieu of corporal punishment.
   --Blackstone.

   Ransom bill (Law), a war contract, valid by the law of nations, for the ransom of property captured at sea and its safe conduct into port.
   --Kent.

Ransom \Ran"som\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ransomed (-s[u^]md); p. pr. & vb. n. Ransoming.] [Cf. F. ran[,c]onner. See Ransom, n.]

1. To redeem from captivity, servitude, punishment, or forfeit, by paying a price; to buy out of servitude or penalty; to rescue; to deliver; as, to ransom prisoners from an enemy.

2. To exact a ransom for, or a payment on. [R.]

   Such lands as he had rule of he ransomed them so grievously, and would tax the men two or three times in a year.
   --Berners.

c.1200, "sum paid for the release of a prisoner or captured man," from Old French ranson (Modern French rançon), earlier raenson "ransom, redemption," from Latin redemptionem (nominative redemptio) "a redeeming," from redimere (see redeem).

early 14c., from ransom (n.). Related: Ransomed; ransoming.

n. 1 money paid for the freeing of a hostage. 2 The release of a captive, or of captured property, by payment of a consideration. 3 (context historical legal UK English) A sum paid for the pardon of some great offence and the discharge of the offender; also, a fine paid in lieu of corporal punishment. vb. 1 (context 14th century English) To deliver, especially in context of sin or relevant penalties. 2 To pay a price to set someone free from captivity or punishment. 3 To exact a ransom for, or a payment on.

1. n. money demanded for the return of a captured person [syn: ransom money]

2. payment for the release of someone

3. the act of freeing from captivity or punishment

4. v. exchange or buy back for money; under threat [syn: redeem]

Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it may refer to the sum of money involved.

In an early German law, a similar concept was called weregild.

When ransom means "payment", the word comes via Old French rançon from Latin redemptio = "buying back": compare "redemption".

In Judaism ransom is called kofer-nefesh . Among other uses, the word was applied to the poll tax of a half shekel to be paid by every male above twenty years at the census.

Ransom is a 1996 American crime thriller film written by Richard Price & Alexander Ignon and directed by Ron Howard. The film stars Mel Gibson, Rene Russo, Gary Sinise, Brawley Nolte, Delroy Lindo, Liev Schreiber, Evan Handler, Donnie Wahlberg, and Lili Taylor. Gibson was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.

The original story came from a 1954 episode of The United States Steel Hour titled "Fearful Decision". In 1956, it was adapted by Richard Maibaum and Cyril Hume into the feature film Ransom!, starring Glenn Ford, Donna Reed, and Leslie Nielsen. The film was also influenced by Ed McBain's police procedural novel King's Ransom.

The film received mostly positive reviews, and was a major financial success, becoming the 6th highest-grossing film of 1996 in the United States.

Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.

Ransom or The Ransom may also refer to:

Ransom or Ransome is an English surname, also found in some trade names and military company names; it might derive either from the noun "ransom" or from contraction of " Ranulf's son". Notable people with the surname include:

• Alured Ransom (1908–1992), American college football coach
• Arthur Ransome (1884–1967), British journalist, spy, and children's author
• Brian Ransom (born 1940), Canadian politician
• Brian Ransom (gridiron football) (born 1960), American player of gridiron football
• Candice F. Ransom (living), American author
• Cody Ransom (born 1976), American professional baseball player
• Epaphroditus Ransom (1798–1859), American state governor and state supreme court justice
• Harry Ransom (1908–1976), chancellor of the University of Texas System
• John Crowe Ransom (1888–1974), American poet, essayist, social and political theorist, man of letters, and academic
• Matt Whitaker Ransom (1826–1904), American state politician and Civil War general
• Melanie Ransom (living), Canadian politician
• Mike Ransom (born 1977), American musician
• P. J. G. Ransom, British non-fiction author
• Reverdy Cassius Ransom (1861–1959), African American Christian socialist, civil rights activist, and Methodist bishop
• Robert Ransom, Jr. (1828–1892), U.S. senator, civil engineer, and Civil War major general
• Thomas E. G. Ransom (1834–1864), American surveyor, civil engineer, real estate speculator, and Civil War general

Fictional characters:

• Cordelia Ransom, in David Weber's Honorverse series of novels
• Elwin Ransom, in C. S. Lewis's Space Trilogy
• Michael Ransom, from Strike Commando and Strike Commando 2

Ransom is a 1974 Eastmancolor film starring Sean Connery and Ian McShane and directed by Finnish director Caspar Wrede. The plot concerns a group of terrorists who try to extract a large sum of money from two governments.

The film was known as The Terrorists in some countries.

Ransom is a novel by Danielle Steel, published by Random House in February 2004. The book is Steel's sixty-second novel.

Ransom (2009) is a novel by Australian author David Malouf. It retells the story of the Iliad from books 22 to 24.

Ransom is a 1928 silent drama film directed by George B. Seitz and is considered to be lost.

"Ransom" is a single from Australian drum and bass band Pendulum. It was released as a charity single as a digital download from the official Pendulum website with 100% of proceeds from the sale going to 2 charities, The Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) who did work in Japan following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami there. It peaked at number 193 on the UK Singles Chart.

Ransom was a 1973 novel by Australian author Jon Cleary, the third to feature his detective hero Scobie Malone. Cleary also wrote The Sundowners and The High Commissioner. The novel was published by Fontana Press on November 3, 1975.

Ransom is a male given name which may refer to:

• Ransom Cook (1794–1881), American inventor
• Ransom W. Dunham (1838–1896), U.S. Representative from Illinois
• Ransom Dunn (1818–1900), American minister and theologian
• Ransom H. Gillet (1800–1876), U.S. Representative from New York
• Ransom Halloway (1793–1851), U.S. Representative from New York
• Ransom A. Myers (1952–2007), marine biologist and conservationist
• Ransom E. Olds (1864–1950), American automotive industry pioneer, for whom both the Oldsmobile and REO brands were named
• Ransom Riggs, American writer and filmmaker
• Ransom B. Shelden, Sr. (1814–1878), founder of Houghton, Michigan
• Ransom Stephens, American physicist and writer

Ransom is an upcoming international co-produced drama television series created by David Vainola and produced by Frank Spotnitz, starring Luke Roberts, set to air on Global (Canada) and CBS. Ordered straight-to-series with 13 episodes on June 6, 2016, the series is a co-production between Canadian Global and French TF1, American CBS and German RTL.