defection
Americannoun
-
desertion from allegiance, loyalty, duty, or the like; apostasy.
His defection to East Germany was regarded as treasonable.
- Antonyms:
- loyalty
-
failure; lack; loss.
He was overcome by a sudden defection of courage.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of defection
1535–45; < Latin dēfectiōn- (stem of dēfectiō ), equivalent to dēfect ( us ) ( see defect) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Is your team so bad you have begun supporting a rival team? Then you're guilty of defection — the act of shifting your support to a new cause. Most people won't thank you for your defection. No matter how much you might believe in the new sports team, or political party, or whatever, defection is generally used as a critical term. Defection implies a lack of character — as you can tell by looking at its Latin roots, which come from the word defectionum, meaning "desertion, revolt, failure." Clearly, no one likes a defector.
Vocabulary lists containing defection
"Coming of Age in the Dawnland," Vocabulary from the historical excerpt
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My Brother Sam is Dead
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Mockingjay
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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.
All received bonuses of at least $100 million to defect from the PGA Tour, and Rahm, a relative latecomer to LIV Golf, received a reported $300- to $500-million bonus.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
Up until recently, it had been extremely rare for partners to defect from some of the most prestigious firms, including Wachtell and Cravath, Swaine & Moore.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026
Pierre Lacotte, a French ballet choreographer who helped superstar Rudolf Nureyev defect from the Soviet Union, has died aged 91.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2023
LIV Golf already has trumpeted the coming additions in Portland, Ore., of Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed, and additional notable names are expected to defect from the PGA Tour before that event begins.
From Washington Post • Jun. 20, 2022
Often he found himself incorrectly understood, because of his inability to use the right word in the right place, but nevertheless he was successful in concealing his speech defect from many of his friends.
From Stammering, Its Cause and Cure by Bogue, Benjamin Nathaniel
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.
