kidnapped also kidnaped
ˈkid-ˌnapt 
; kidnapping also kidnaping
; kidnapping also kidnaping
: to seize and detain or carry away by unlawful force or fraud and often with a demand for ransom
kidnapper
noun
or less commonly kidnaper
Examples of kidnap in a Sentence
the child of the wealthy industrialist was kidnapped and held for ransom
Recent Examples on the Web
According to the letter, Combs and a coconspirator kidnapped someone at gunpoint in 2011, and later set fire to another person’s convertible using a Molotov cocktail.
—
Jem Aswad, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2024
Yet Northup's account of being kidnapped from freedom into slavery has more nuance than almost any movie could capture.
—The Week Us, theweek, 17 Sep. 2024
The observation that some African people—kidnapped and then enslaved in the New World—were protected from the worst effects of malaria was perceived as extra incentive for their captivity.
—Maryn McKenna, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024
Hasan Oswald’s Mediha, a documentary about a Yazidi girl’s quest for justice after she was kidnapped by ISIS and sold into slavery, is getting a U.S. and UK theatrical release through Together Films.
—Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for kidnap 
Jem Aswad, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2024
Yet Northup's account of being kidnapped from freedom into slavery has more nuance than almost any movie could capture.
—The Week Us, theweek, 17 Sep. 2024
The observation that some African people—kidnapped and then enslaved in the New World—were protected from the worst effects of malaria was perceived as extra incentive for their captivity.
—Maryn McKenna, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024
Hasan Oswald’s Mediha, a documentary about a Yazidi girl’s quest for justice after she was kidnapped by ISIS and sold into slavery, is getting a U.S. and UK theatrical release through Together Films.
—Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for kidnap
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kidnap.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Kidnap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kidnap. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
Etymology
probably back-formation from kidnapper, from kid child + obsolete napper thief
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