extortion
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extortion
The criminal act of forcing someone, through the threat of violence or serious harm, to do, tolerate, or refrain from doing something in order to enrich oneself or a third party.
Er wurde wegen Erpressung angeklagt, nachdem er gedroht hatte, kompromittierende Fotos zu veröffentlichen.
He was charged with extortion after threatening to publish compromising photos.
'Die Erpressung' (extortion) is derived from the verb 'erpressen' (to extort). The verb is made up of 'er-' and 'pressen' (to press) and means to get something from someone through pressure or threats.
Er hat versucht, seinen ehemaligen Geschäftspartner zu erpressen.
He tried to extort his former business partner.
Since 'Erpressung' (extortion) is a criminal offense, the word is often used in legal contexts. Typical phrases are 'Anzeige wegen Erpressung' (criminal complaint for extortion), 'Opfer einer Erpressung werden' (to become a victim of extortion), or 'versuchte Erpressung' (attempted extortion).
Die Polizei ermittelt wegen versuchter Erpressung.
The police are investigating attempted extortion.
The act of extortion can be described with the pattern 'jemanden mit etwas erpressen' (to extort someone with something). The person being extorted is in the accusative; the means of extortion is in the dative with 'mit'.
Der Angeklagte hat das Opfer mit geheimen Informationen erpresst.
The defendant extorted the victim with secret information.
pressure / printing
'der Druck' and 'die Erpressung' both have to do with someone being pushed or pressured into something. But 'Druck' is much more general: it can arise from expectations, time, or other people, and it does not have to be illegal. 'Erpressung' is much stronger and means a crime: someone threatens violence or serious harm in order to gain an advantage. The words can be confused because extortion is also a form of strong pressure. But not every kind of pressure is extortion.
Die Polizei ermittelt wegen Erpressung, weil der Täter Geld gefordert und mit Gewalt gedroht hat.
The police are investigating extortion because the perpetrator demanded money and threatened violence.
Nach dem Gespräch mit dem Chef fühlte Tom noch mehr Druck.
After the conversation with his boss, Tom felt even more pressure.