defector

[ dih-fek-ter ]

/ dɪˈfɛk tər /

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See synonyms for defector on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who defects from a cause, country, alliance, etc.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM defector

non·de·fec·tor, nounre·de·fec·tor, noun

Words nearby defector

defectible, defection, defective, defective bacteriophage, defective virus, defector, defederalize, defence, defence in depth, defence mechanism, defend

How to use defector in a sentence

The only other sports entity that has framed its existence around fair labor practices for its athletes is the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, filled with defectors of the more traditional National Women’s Hockey League.
The Premier Lacrosse League Is Trying To Change The Game|Marisa Ingemi|March 2, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
Guiding such legislation through the House will be a challenge for Pelosi because her party’s narrow majority means just a handful of defectors could be fatal.
Nancy Pelosi is narrowly reelected House speaker|Jaclyn Gallucci|January 4, 2021|Fortune
Lee’s family members, who have denied he was a defector, have called for a United Nations investigation.
The North Koreans Who Escape Back Home|Fiona Zublin|October 14, 2020|Ozy
Park, of Liberty in North Korea, says that responsibility lies with the South Korean government and civil society groups to improve the programs for resettling defectors.
The North Koreans Who Escape Back Home|Fiona Zublin|October 14, 2020|Ozy

Park Sang-hak, another defector turned activist, says some North Koreans returned after encountering legal problems.
The North Koreans Who Escape Back Home|Fiona Zublin|October 14, 2020|Ozy
Lankov and Delury make a commonsense point, but Jang, a defector to Seoul, maintains that Kim was removed from power last year.
Has North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Been Toppled?|Gordon G. Chang|October 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
According to one defector from Harun Yahya, Oktar had sex with all of the “sisters” in the group.
The Hedonistic, Possibly Holocaust-Denying Sect That’s Hoodwinking Republican Congressmen|Jay Michaelson|April 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Here was the most recognizable face of radical British politics—a defector.
Exclusive: Tommy Robinson, a Prominent British Voice of Hate, Apologizes|Nico Hines|October 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Snow Hunters by Paul Yoon A North Korean defector tries to capture peace in Brazil after the Korean War.
This Week’s Hot Reads: August 5, 2013|Nicholas Mancusi|August 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
High-profile defector Manaf Tlass, for example, has been floated by some as a possible leader in transitional plans.
Former Syrian Prime Minister Riyad Hijab Calls Regime an ‘Enemy of God’|Mike Giglio|August 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Would it be usual for the defector to agree to advise you if he got a contact?
Warren Commission (5 of 26): Hearings Vol. V (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
Here was a defector who comes within the category of interesting cases naturally.
Warren Commission (5 of 26): Hearings Vol. V (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
Does a defector or an attempted defector fall in that category?
Warren Commission (5 of 26): Hearings Vol. V (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
But there are only very few such as Mr. Oswald, or people in the defector category.
Warren Commission (5 of 26): Hearings Vol. V (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
It would, but defector is not a statutory term or one that has real technical significance.
Warren Commission (5 of 26): Hearings Vol. V (of 15)|The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy