(DoD) A person held as a pledge that certain terms or agreements will be kept. (The taking of hostages is forbidden under the Geneva Conventions, 1949.)
Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. 31 January 2011.
| APA | Military Dictionary (DoD). (2011). hostage. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/hostage/definitions/1962056 |
| Chicago | Military Dictionary (DoD). 2011. "hostage" http://smartdefine.org/hostage/definitions/1962056 (accessed September 21, 2026). |
| Harvard | Military Dictionary (DoD) 2011, hostage, Smart Define, viewed 21 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/hostage/definitions/1962056>. |
| MLA | Military Dictionary (DoD). "hostage" 4 April 2011. Web. 21 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/hostage/definitions/1962056> |