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.
"Knowing wouldn't have meant anything to me back then. So I paid more attention to the lyrics," says the 25-year-old who defected in 2019.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
But last week, the replies were inundated with complaints that Letterboxd had defected to the corporate dark side, along with fearful pleas for the platform’s owners to reconsider.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
It was in 1990, while touring Europe with his hero Gillespie, that Sandoval finally defected from Cuba with his wife and son — and found the refuge he’d been seeking in the U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
The U.S. auto industry faces sobering new math: Some one million prospective buyers have defected from the new-car market since the start of the decade—and they aren’t expected back soon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
The following morning, more than 650 Woodhull supporters—including several dozen women who defected from Anthony’s suffrage convention—showed up at Apollo Hall.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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.
