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.
However, in 2003, he quit the UUP and defected to the DUP.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Laura Anne Jones is a former Conservative who defected to Reform in the summer of 2025.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
The book’s title refers to the Soviet agent Oleg Lyalin, a relatively low-level but irrepressibly ambitious KGB operative who defected to Britain in 1971.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Kendall had been a key backer of Democrat Andrew Jackson in the 1828 election, having defected from Henry Clay’s Whigs.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
