Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

protection money

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.78 in modern English

Syllables: pro-tec-tion -money
IPA

24

Scrabble Score

15

Letters

4

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Money paid, especially at regular intervals, to criminals or to corrupt officials who threaten to cause harm to the payer or to his or her business if the money is not paid.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Those in the Lowland line who lay near him, and desired to enjoy their lives and property in quiet, were contented to pay him a small composition, in name of protection money, and comforted themselves with the old proverb that it was better to "fleech the deil than fight him.""
"[T]he police had raised the tariff for sporting houses, and would collect seventy-five and a hundred a month protection money."
"Four members of an Asian gang were arrested yesterday and charged with extortion and conspiracy for demanding protection money from Chinese restaurants in Sunset Park, Brooklyn."
"[T]he Mungiki . . . hit the headlines in April with a string of beheadings as they tussled for control of lucrative bus routes by executing drivers and conductors who refused to pay protection money."
"[T]he FSB, interior ministry and police collect protection money from businesses."

Usage

Uncountable

Phrases

protection racket

Frequently Paired Words

protection racket blackmail extortion

Questions

What does protection money mean?: Money paid, especially at regular intervals, to criminals or to corrupt officials who threaten to cause harm to the payer or to his or her business if the money is not paid.

How to pronounce protection money

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