Definitions for hostages
hostages

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Hostages

   A hostage is a person seized by an abductor in order to compel another party, one which places a high value on the liberty, well-being and safety of the person seized—such as a relative, employer, law enforcement, or government—to act, or refrain from acting, in a certain way, often under threat of serious physical harm or death to the hostage(s) after expiration of an ultimatum. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition defines a hostage as "a person who is handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war."A party who seizes one or more hostages is known as a hostage-taker; if the hostages are present voluntarily, then the receiver is known as a host. In civil society, along with kidnapping for ransom and human trafficking (often willing to ransom its captives when lucrative or to trade on influence), hostage taking is a criminal activity. In the military context, hostages are distinct from prisoners of war—despite prisoners being used as collateral in prisoner exchange—and hostage taking is regarded as a war crime. On occasion, hostage taking is an impulsive act of desperation, as when a criminal act goes awry, the criminal has lethal force available, and a bystander becomes hasty collateral, despite the prospects for evading justice remaining poor, now soon surrounded by lethal force with intent as well as criminal prosecution for a serious additional crime, should the hostage taker survive the escalated stand-off (not always the intent; see suicide by cop). These confrontations are extremely dramatic, and are prominent in the public eye, despite being rather uncommon. Hostage taking is sometimes the only way to enact a plan, hence tactical, such as certain forms of prison escape, especially as treated in film. At the other extreme, it can be an entirely calculated business venture by what amounts to organized crime. Before venturing into regimes known for lax rule of law, it is commonplace for affluent travellers and business persons to obtain kidnap and ransom insurance, though this will be less effective if the kidnapper's game plan transmutes into political extortion. Parental child abduction is not generally considered hostage taking because there is usually no threat of harm to the child and no ultimatum concerning the return of the child (though there are cases where the leverage obtained within the failed parental relationship is more desired than the child), but otherwise hostage taking and kidnapping are prone to blend together. When the goal is strictly financial, the primary lens is one of extortion, even in the face of a severe threat to the safety of the captive person if the financial negotiation fails; conversely, when the goal is political or geopolitical, the primary lens is terrorism.

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Hostages

   Hostages is a computer game developed by New Frontier and published by Infogrames. It was released for the Acorn Electron, Archimedes, Atari ST, Amiga, Apple IIGS, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, Commodore 64, DOS, MSX, NES and ZX Spectrum platforms in 1988. The game was released as Hostage: Rescue Mission in the United States and Operation Jupiter in France; the NES port was titled Rescue: The Embassy Mission.

Military Dictionary and GazetteerRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. hostages

   Are persons given in pledge for the performance of conditions. When a town capitulates, victors and vanquished usually give into the custody, one of the other, several officers, as pledges that each party will duly carry out the terms stipulated. When the terms are fulfilled, the hostages are exchanged; but if the terms be evaded, the opposite side holds the right to put to death, or otherwise punish, the hostages in its possession; of late years the practice is going out of use.

Anagrams for hostages »

1. she-goats

How to pronounce hostages?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say hostages in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of hostages in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of hostages in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of hostages in a Sentence

1. David Whelan:

   It is one thing to talk about caring and The Whelans is another to act. This conference call with families was an action that showed that State Department is listening. It was good to hear Secretary Blinken discuss the need to use relationships -- with other David Whelan agencies and foreign nations -- and tools -- legislatively -- enacted options like the Levinson Act for hostage support and for sanctions -- to find ways to gain our family members' freedom. I will be looking forward to seeing those words become actions to try to bring American hostages home.

2. Defense Ashton Carter:

   These special operators will over time be able to conduct raids, free hostages, gather intelligence and capture ISIL leaders.

3. Donald Trump:

   As everybody is aware, the past Administration has long been asking for three hostages to be released from a North Korean Labor camp, but to no avail. Stay tuned!

4. Nicholas Haysom:

   The deliberate murder of civilian hostages, including women and children, is particularly abhorrent, these senseless murders may amount to war crimes, and the perpetrators must be held accountable.

5. Ukraine Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin:

   It was a very difficult meeting, we can't reach any breakthrough and we have still thousands and thousands of our hostages in Donetsk and Luhansk.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hostages
2. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=hostages
3. ^ Military Dictionary and Gazetteer
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/59563/pg59563-images.html