defected
Americanadjective
-
having deserted a country, cause, etc., especially in order to adopt another.
In the movie White Nights, a defected Soviet dancer is returned to his motherland when the plane he’s on is forced to land in Russia.
verb
Etymology
Origin of defected
First recorded in 1585–95; defect + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; defect + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
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.
Montgomerie, the founder of the ConservativeHome website, defected to Reform two years ago.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
But last week, the replies were inundated with complaints that Letterboxd had defected to the corporate dark side, along with fearful pleas for the platform’s owners to reconsider.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
It was in 1990, while touring Europe with his hero Gillespie, that Sandoval finally defected from Cuba with his wife and son — and found the refuge he’d been seeking in the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
Kaykal defected to the army in October 2024 and his fighters later helped recapture parts of central Sudan, including Al-Jazirah state and Khartoum.
From Barron's ● May 5, 2026
My mother embraced Edward after he defected from Dauntless.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
Definitions 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.
