Word of the Day: EXTORTIONATE

Avaricious or exacting

extortionate (adj) - excessively expensive or exorbitant; of or pertaining to extortion [ik-stawr-shuh-nit]

BREAKDOWN: EX- (out) + TORT- (twist) + + ION (act or state) + -ATE (being)

• extort means to obtain money or information by threat, force, or similarly aggressive means

• extortion is the act or state of acquisition through force, threats, or blackmail

See also: tortuous

“The wash and rush of this human tide is to be explained primarily in terms of a new vision of opportunity, of social and economic freedom, of a spirit to seize, even in the face of an extortionate and heavy toll, a chance for the improvement of conditions.” —Kareem Abdul-Jabbar