Home Dictionary Hhijacking

hijacking

hijacking

Noun

pl: hijackings

This term conveys a sense of sudden, forceful appropriation and a total loss of control for the original owner or operator. While it originates from the violent seizure of physical transport, it carries a strong connotation of violation and disruption regardless of the medium. In legal and security contexts, it implies a criminal act of coercion.

In digital and social contexts, the word shifts toward a more metaphorical but still intrusive meaning. Session hijacking in computing refers to a technical breach of trust, while hijacking a conversation describes a social breach where one person dominates the discourse to steer it toward a personal agenda, often causing frustration to others.

Meanings

Nounhijacking

The illegal seizure of a vehicle, such as an aircraft or ship, while in transit by force or threat.

The hijacking of the passenger plane led to a tense standoff with the authorities.

Nounhijacking

The unauthorized takeover of a digital communication channel, account, or data stream to redirect it for malicious purposes.

The security team detected a session hijacking attempt targeting the administrator account.

Nounhijacking

The act of taking over a conversation, a meeting, or a process to divert it toward one's own agenda or topic.

The meeting was productive until a few participants began hijacking the discussion with unrelated grievances.

Last Updated: July 2, 2026•Report an Error