Trivia Time

In 1774, which American diplomat was formally accused of treason by the British?

Test Your Knowledge

treason

American  

[tree-zuhn] / ˈtri zən /

noun

1. the offense of acting to overthrow one's government or to harm or kill its sovereign.

2. a violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or to one's state.

3. the betrayal of a trust or confidence; breach of faith; treachery.

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treason British  

/ ˈtriːzən /

noun

1. violation or betrayal of the allegiance that a person owes his sovereign or his country, esp by attempting to overthrow the government; high treason

2. any treachery or betrayal

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Synonym Usage

Treason, sedition mean disloyalty or treachery to one's country or its government. Treason is any attempt to overthrow the government or impair the well-being of a state to which one owes allegiance; the crime of giving aid or comfort to the enemies of one's government. Sedition is any act, writing, speech, etc., directed unlawfully against state authority, the government, or constitution, or calculated to bring it into contempt or to incite others to hostility, ill will or disaffection; it does not amount to treason and therefore is not a capital offense. See disloyalty.

Other Word Forms

• supertreason
  noun
• treasonableness
  noun
• treasonable
  adjective
• treasonably
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of treason

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English tre(i)so(u)n, from Anglo-French; Old French traïson, from Latin trāditiōn-, stem of trāditiō “delivery, transfer, betrayal”; see tradition

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Compare meaning

How does treason compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• sedition vs. treason

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Explanation

Hacking your brother’s email account and sharing all his secrets with your mom could be considered an act of personal treason, meaning you have betrayed your brother. The word treason can be traced back to the Latin word traditio(n-), which comes from the verb tradere, meaning "to hand over, betray." If you commit treason, that’s what you do: you betray. The word is typically used to refer to the betrayal of a government or a country, like when a spy shares national secrets with another country, but it can be used to refer to personal betrayals as well.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

treason

The American Framers repeatedly mentioned corruption as being, next to treason, the most necessary ground for presidential impeachment.

From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2026

He faces a possible death penalty if convicted of treason for allegedly inciting the public to boycott elections last year.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026

On 29 June 1916 Casement was found guilty of high treason and sentenced to death.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

Hanning faces possible charges of treasonous espionage, illegally obtaining state secrets, attempted treason and espionage, the prosecutor’s office said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

Blake's supervisors ordered him to look for evidence of what happened to her, as talk of treason swirled around the MI6 headquarters.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

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Related Words

• crime
• mutiny
• sedition
• subversion
• treachery

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