extortionate

/ɛkˈstɔːʃənət/

//ɛkˈstɔːʃənət// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"extortionate" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“extortionate” is uncommon English (frequency #65,105 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#65,105
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Of, related to, or typifying extortion (“the practice of obtaining money or other property by the use of force or threats”).

Corpus desk

Index EN-extortionate · extortionate · English

extortionate · rank #65,105 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #65,105
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH Eustis

Nearest frequency peer: Eustis (-2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “extortionate”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “extortionate” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for extortionate
PropertyValue
Headwordextortionate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɛkˈstɔːʃənət/
Letters12
Frequency rank#65,105
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “extortionate” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).extortionatefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “Eustis” (#65,103), “FACS” (#65,107), “falsity” (#65,109). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “extortionate” is #65,105. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

extortionate is uncommon English at frequency #65,105 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ɛkˈstɔːʃənət/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

extortionate doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From extortion + -ate (adjective-forming suffix). The correct English form is extortionate, spelled E-X-T-O-R-T-I-O-N-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of, related to, or typifying extortion (“the practice of obtaining money or other property by the use of force or threats”).
  2. 2
    Greatly exceeding what is moderate or reasonable; exorbitant.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how extortionate appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Now it is certain the Roman prieſts are not only ſeemingly very religious and really very extortionate, but are extortionate by means of religion, and make their prayers and maſſes the grand pretence for their exactions.
  2. It is said the daily increase in opium is owing to the negligence of officers in enforcing the interdicts? The laws and enactments are the means which extortionate underlings and worthless vagrants employ to benefit themselves; and the more complete the laws are, the greater and more numerous are the bribes paid to the extortionate underlings, and the mor…

Etymology

From extortion + -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

This word in other languages

extorsivo(Español)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "extortionate"?
"extortionate" is spelled E-X-T-O-R-T-I-O-N-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɛkˈstɔːʃənət/.
What does "extortionate" mean?
As an adjective, "extortionate" means: Of, related to, or typifying extortion (“the practice of obtaining money or other property by the use of force or threats”).
How do you pronounce "extortionate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "extortionate" is /ɛkˈstɔːʃənət/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "extortionate"?
From extortion + -ate (adjective-forming suffix). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "extortionate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

favorability#65,111craniofacial#65,020hypertrophic#65,192impermanence#65,202

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list