high treason

American

noun

treason against the sovereign or state.

high treason British

noun

an act of treason directly affecting a sovereign or state

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of high treason

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

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.

Copenhagen dismissed and charged Kauffmann with high treason, which he ignored.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

He also noted the "absence of the death penalty" even though Burkina Faso recently reinstated it for crimes of high treason.

From Barron's • Jan. 20, 2026

Unfortunately for the Duke of Buckingham, his 1521 gift of a goblet engraved with the motto "With humble, true heart" did not do the trick, and he was executed the same year for high treason.

From Salon • Dec. 23, 2024

There have also been concerns over publicly funding a facility which bears the name of an Irish rebel, executed for high treason.

From BBC • Nov. 30, 2024

I don’t think the word betrayal covers it—more like high treason or defection or Iscariotism.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023