It could be a sign that you are in danger. Definition of Blackmail. The word blackmail originated in the 16th century in … Blackmail was originally a term from the Scottish Borders meaning payments rendered in exchange for protection from thieves and marauders. We break down how it works and ways to respond. 16th century Scottish (Mail) What is Blackmail? emotional blackmail definition: 1. the act of using a person's feelings of kindness, sympathy, or duty in order to persuade them to…. Find 29 ways to say BLACKMAIL, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. The biggest difference between extortion and blackmail is that blackmail requires a threat. What does blackmail mean? In some instances, if you could not prevent the problem from happening, it is possible that the blackmail dream meaning is a warning to you about some kind of danger surrounding you. The "mail" part of blackmail derives from Middle English male meaning "rent or tribute". To blackmail somebody is to exhort money or something else of value from them by the threat of exposing information that will harm them in many ways.Blackmailing is a punishable offence.. We all know that the word mail is used to talk about materials handled in a postal system. The act of demanding payment, or a certain action, from another person in return for not revealing compromising or damaging information. blackmail meaning: 1. the act of getting money from people or forcing them to do something by threatening to tell a…. Ultimately, as a victim, you succumb to fear, obligation, and guilt. It may derive from the ancient association between the color black and evil deeds. Warning Signs of People Who Use Emotional Blackmail. The definition of blackmail is the criminal act of demanding a payment from someone by threatening to expose a secret. Origin. Hence, it helps if you are able to identify the signs when someone tries to emotionally blackmail you. Noun. Or it could simply serve as a contrast to white mail – to distinguish rent paid in goods or services from rent paid with cash. Emotional blackmail is a type of manipulation that's sometimes hard to spot. Like extortion, blackmail is classified as a theft crime, but it involves making a threat and is usually charged as a felony. Extortion is a theft crime involving coercion to obtain money, property, or services from a victim. This means that you should be paying attention to your surroundings. The blackmail dream meaning is a warning sign. Learn more. The definition of blackmail—the act of demanding that a person pay money or do something in order to avoid having damaging information about him or her exposed—has evolved over time. The origin of the “black” in blackmail is somewhat murky. Learn more. 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