defector
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of defector
1655–65; < Latin dēfector renegade, rebel, equivalent to dēfec- (variant stem of dēficere to become disaffected, revolt, literally, to fail; see defect) + -tor -tor
Explanation
A person who quits something, despite a perceived duty or obligation, is a defector. If you abandon the Boston Red Sox to root for the New York Yankees instead, your fellow Bostonians will consider you a defector. In politics, defectors abandon their home countries and claim allegiance to another. A person can only be a defector if the first state forbids such a change and considers it illegal or illegitimate, as the government of North Korea does when one of its citizens leaves the country. Abandoning a military post also makes someone a defector. In your life, you're more likely to be considered a defector (by some) if you change political parties or stop being a vegetarian.
Vocabulary lists containing defector
Selection Vocabulary 1, Unit 6
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocabulary for July 15–July 21, 2023
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocabulary for June 17–June 23, 2023
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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.
Mr. Magyar, a defector from Fidesz, campaigned hard on the economy, which grew a mere 0.4% in 2025.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
"They pleaded with the interviewer to promise she would return to bring them to the South," said Jang, himself a North Korean defector.
From Barron's • Nov. 2, 2025
Fellow defector Brett Rosehill said other councillors had switched parties and this was the first time demands had been made for a by-election.
From BBC • Oct. 9, 2025
The term predatory incursion is also used literally in writings of that period to refer to slightly smaller attacks like the 1781 Raid on Richmond led by American defector Benedict Arnold.
From Salon • Mar. 17, 2025
But of course, Cara was the only well-known defector from Erudite at that time, the only person Peter would have known to ask for help.
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.
