traitor
Americannoun
-
traitors
plural
-
a person who betrays another person, a cause, or any trust.
-
a person who commits treason by betraying their country.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of traitor
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English from Old French from Latin trāditōr-, stem of trāditor “betrayer”; see traditor
Explanation
A traitor says one thing but does another. If you promise a friend you'll keep his secret, but instead you blab it to everyone, you're a traitor. The word origin says it all: traditorem is the Latin word for "betrayer." Liar? Yes. Backstabber? Yes. True friend? Heavens, no. Traitors betray the trust of those who have faith in them or believe their promises. Traitor also applies to a person who betrays his country by committing treason: turning against his own government, perhaps by selling secret information.
Vocabulary lists containing traitor
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The American Revolution - Introductory
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act IV
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"He's the opposite of me. So relaxed. He's a natural born traitor."
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Asked about being called a traitor and worse, he told reporters, “I am the mayor of New York City, and this is what I signed up for.”
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
"I did not choose the traitor life, the traitor life chose me," said the latest recruit to the dark side.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
As for Acaster, he's admitted the other comedians are his “biggest threat” when it comes to being detected as a traitor.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
It is hard, I found, to be called traitor.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
After Thursday saw King Kenny recruited by the traitors - that episode ending with his deliciously evil laugh - the YouTuber and former aspiring boxer brought fresh and fiendish energy to the turret.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
The uproar over “NAZA” has also led the filmmakers to be called traitors in their country.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026
The traitors agreed to stay out of the game themselves, before settling on Kemp, Ranganathan, his comic pal Rob Beckett and Little Mix and solo singer Leigh-Anne Pinnock.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
The remaining traitors, Maya Jama and James Acaster, met in the turret later with the choice of murdering previously shortlisted players Jerry Hall and Hannah Fry, or seducing a third traitor to replace Grant.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
I tried one last time to wrench myself away, but my knees, the traitors, buckled under me.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
