traitor
Americannoun
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a person who betrays another person, a cause, or any trust.
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a person who commits treason by betraying their country.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of traitor
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English from Old French from Latin trāditōr-, stem of trāditor “betrayer”; see traditor
Explanation
A traitor says one thing but does another. If you promise a friend you'll keep his secret, but instead you blab it to everyone, you're a traitor. The word origin says it all: traditorem is the Latin word for "betrayer." Liar? Yes. Backstabber? Yes. True friend? Heavens, no. Traitors betray the trust of those who have faith in them or believe their promises. Traitor also applies to a person who betrays his country by committing treason: turning against his own government, perhaps by selling secret information.
Vocabulary lists containing traitor
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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The American Revolution - Introductory
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"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act IV
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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.
And, in killing Capt. Mayer, he underscored the idea that the traitor was inside the army—a concept that obviously was key in the Dreyfus affair.
From Slate • Mar. 2, 2026
"But if he is a traitor, he doesn't deserve it," Walesa added, arguing that for the moment, "it's too early to judge".
From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026
Long condemned as a traitor, Malinche is being reimagined as a brilliant Indigenous survivor whose intelligence and resilience helped shape Mexico, amid a feminist and cultural reckoning that is rewriting her place in history.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2026
And yet, one is being hailed a trailblazer, while the other is deemed a traitor.
From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026
There had to be a link between Hugo being a traitor and Will’s disappearance – and maybe Hannie’s, too.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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.
