traitor

[trey-ter]

noun

1. a person who betrays another person, a cause, or any trust.

2. a person who commits treason by betraying their country.

traitor

/ ˈtreɪtə /

noun

1. a person who is guilty of treason or treachery, in betraying friends, country, a cause or trust, etc

Other Word Forms

• traitorship noun
• traitorous adjective
• traitress noun
• traitorously adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of traitor¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English from Old French from Latin trāditōr-, stem of trāditor “betrayer”; traditor

Word History and Origins

Origin of traitor¹

C13: from Old French traitour , from Latin trāditor _traditor

Example Sentences

For example, when TV presenter Kate Garraway stood accused of being a potential traitor for her excessively theatrical reactions, she defended herself by explaining she was always "a ham".

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Making the comedian a traitor was exactly the kind of brilliant casting decision we were hoping for.

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As in previous years, the series will see three of the contestants assigned as "traitors", while the remaining "faithful" contestants must attempt to root them out.

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“Hamas says I’m a traitor because I coordinate with Israel,” he said.

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Tito denounced Mandaric as a "capitalist traitor" when the entrepreneur took his family to Switzerland.

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Related Words

• conspirator 
• deserter 
• hypocrite 
• impostor 
• informer 
• renegade 
• spy 
• turncoat