defected

American  

[dih-fek-tid] / dɪˈfɛk tɪd /

adjective

1. 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.

2. defective.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of defect.

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

Zahawi joins a growing list of senior Conservatives who have defected to Reform.

From BBC

So far no senior government or military figures have defected or spoken out against leadership, even as the crackdown on demonstrators has intensified.

From The Wall Street Journal

“As an athlete you are always told you are engaging in a war of speed, skill and grit,” said Jeong, 31, who defected to the South in 2012 by darting across the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

From The Wall Street Journal

Five Labour councillors in Brent in north London defected to the Green Party a couple of weeks ago.

From BBC

Raised in Uganda by a British mother and father who were both physicians, he was a Conservative member of Parliament until he defected to the United Kingdom Independence Party.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• abandon
• abscond
• depart
• desert
• pull out
• quit
• reject
• renounce
• revolt
• withdraw