Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ransomware

/ˈɹænsəmˌwɛə(ɹ)/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.70 in modern English

Syllables: ran-somware
IPA: /ˈɹænsəmˌwɛə(ɹ)/

15

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Malware that holds the data of a computer user for ransom, usually requiring or claiming to require payment to restore access.

Uncountable

noun

Software that is released as open source only in exchange for payment.

Derogatory; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"The amount of money generated by ransomware schemes would appear to be quite small given their lack of popularity and the asking price in ransom notes […]"
"Garmin has been forced to shut down its call centres, website and some other online services after a ransomware attack encrypted the smartwatch maker’s internal network and some production systems."
"Last March, Trenitalia, the Italian state-owned railway, suffered a major ransomware attack on its ticketing system, which disrupted sales at stations as well as passenger information screens."
"Cybersecurity firm Semperis found that 86% of surveyed organizations in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany that faced ransomware attacks were targeted on a holiday or weekend."
"[I]n some situations, the source code of COTS may be escrowed and released under a free software or open source license when the original developer (or supplier) no longer continues to develop that software or if stipulated fundraising conditions are met. This model is referred to as the ransom model of software publishing and the software is known as ransomware."

Etymology

Etymology tree Latin redemptiō Old French raençonbor. Middle English raunsoun English ransom Proto-West Germanic *samft(ī) Old English sōfte Middle English softe English soft Proto-Germanic *warō Proto-West Germanic *waru Old English waru Middle English ware English -ware English softwarebf. English -ware English ransomware From ransom + -ware.

Usage

Inflected Forms

ransomwares (nonstandard, plural)

Frequently Paired Words

cyberextortion

Questions

How do you pronounce ransomware?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈɹænsəmˌwɛə(ɹ)/.
What does ransomware mean?: Malware that holds the data of a computer user for ransom, usually requiring or claiming to require payment to restore access.
Where does ransomware come from?: Etymology tree Latin redemptiō Old French raençonbor. Middle English raunsoun English ransom Proto-West Germanic *samft(ī) Old English sōfte Middle English softe English soft Proto-Germanic *warō Proto-West Germanic *waru Old English waru Middle English ware English -ware English softwarebf. English -ware English ransomware From ransom + -ware.

How to pronounce ransomware

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