betrayal

[bih-trey-uhl]

noun

1. the act of exposing or delivering someone to an enemy through treachery or disloyalty.

   This security leak was an inexcusable betrayal of an ally whose very existence is now threatened.

2. the act of disappointing a person’s trust, hopes, or expectations.

   Imagine what a betrayal it is each time a rape victim finds out that her fellow citizens, and our legal system, are just not there for her.

3. the act of revealing information in violation of confidence.

   The library, which carried books criticizing the regime, was kept in private homes and frequently had to be moved to avoid betrayal of its secret to the local authorities.

4. failure to keep or honor a promise, principle, cherished memory, etc..

   Many of his constituents are unhappy with his promotion of new mining and logging initiatives, seeing it as a betrayal of his green ideals.

5. an act or instance of unconsciously revealing or displaying some quality or characteristic, typically one preferably concealed.

   A slight tremor in her hand was the only betrayal of her fear.

Other Word Forms

• prebetrayal noun
• self-betrayal noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of betrayal¹

betray ( def. ) + -al ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

BBC Sport sits down with the 32-year-old, and speaks to his father Makasi, to piece together a tale of power, betrayal and survival which reads more like a political thriller than a family tree.

Read more on BBC

“Stealing from the very people you are sworn to protect is a profound betrayal of the badge,” Los Angeles County Dist.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Her friends urged her to reframe the tin’s meaning: Make it a tool of healing, instead of hurt, they suggested; strip it of its associations with betrayal and embrace it as a symbol of resilience.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"Joining them is not only dangerous, it is a great betrayal."

Read more on BBC

That view is likely to sit badly with the vast show's most conservative exhibitors, who have long viewed alcohol-free wine as a betrayal of their centuries-old traditions.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• deception 
• dishonesty 
• sellout 
• treachery 
• treason 

When To Use

What does betrayal mean?

Betrayal is when someone you trust breaks that trust by doing something that hurts you. This can take many forms, such as a soldier working with the enemy, one family member stealing from another, or a friend spreading rumors about another friend.Betrayal is the noun form of the verb betray, which means to be disloyal or traitorous.A specific act of disloyalty is a betrayal, as in The businessman never forgave his partner’s betrayal of joining his hated rival’s company. Betrayal is also used to describe how you reveal something unconsciously, like how a blush betrays embarrassment.An act is only considered a betrayal if it violates an existing trust. The word typically implies a serious violation of trust that causes serious harm.Example: The knights’ betrayal of their king helped the invaders win the war.