defected
Americanadjective
-
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.
verb
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Andrew Rosindell has resigned from the Conservative Party and defected to Reform UK.
From BBC
The party has one MSP, Graham Simpson, who defected from the Conservatives in August.
From BBC
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.
“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.
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.