extradition
ek-struh-DISH-un
/ˌekstrəˈdɪʃn/
The official surrender of an alleged criminal by one state or nation to another having jurisdiction to try the charge.
Requires formal legal proceedings and existing bilateral treaties between the countries involved.
The story behind the word. Coined in French as 'extradition' in the late 18th century from Latin 'ex-' (out) and 'traditio' (delivery/handing over). It entered English diplomatic vocabulary during international negotiations on fugitive surrender.
Word relationships
- deportation: Deportation is banishment for immigration violations; extradition delivers a suspect to foreign law enforcement.
- asylum: Granting refuge and protection from legal surrender to foreign forces.
Commonly confused with
- deportation: Extradition sends someone to a requesting state for prosecution, whereas deportation expels an unwanted non-citizen.
Word family
- extradite (verb): To hand over an accused person to another state.
Collocations
- extradition treaty
- extradition request
- face extradition
- fight extradition
Example sentences
- "The defense lawyers filed an appeal to block the extradition of their client to stand trial overseas." Legal news
- "Because no extradition treaty existed between the two nations, the fugitive remained safe from arrest." Diplomatic law
Memory hook
EXTRA-DITION = EXTRA-ORDINARY TRADITION of handing over criminals across borders. EXTRA-dite means EX-it to another NATION for trial.
When not to use
Do not confuse with deportation, which is removing an undocumented non-citizen without sending them to face trial.
Fun facts
- France was the first modern country to formalize standard extradition laws in 1791 following the French Revolution.
Related words
Explore more words
arrest, convict, repatriation, banish, treason, jurisdiction
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.