treason
Americannoun
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the offense of acting to overthrow one's government or to harm or kill its sovereign.
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a violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or to one's state.
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the betrayal of a trust or confidence; breach of faith; treachery.
noun
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violation or betrayal of the allegiance that a person owes his sovereign or his country, esp by attempting to overthrow the government; high treason
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any treachery or betrayal
Synonym Usage
Treason, sedition mean disloyalty or treachery to one's country or its government. Treason is any attempt to overthrow the government or impair the well-being of a state to which one owes allegiance; the crime of giving aid or comfort to the enemies of one's government. Sedition is any act, writing, speech, etc., directed unlawfully against state authority, the government, or constitution, or calculated to bring it into contempt or to incite others to hostility, ill will or disaffection; it does not amount to treason and therefore is not a capital offense. See disloyalty.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of treason
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English tre(i)so(u)n, from Anglo-French; Old French traïson, from Latin trāditiōn-, stem of trāditiō “delivery, transfer, betrayal”; see tradition
Compare meaning
How does treason compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Hacking your brother’s email account and sharing all his secrets with your mom could be considered an act of personal treason, meaning you have betrayed your brother. The word treason can be traced back to the Latin word traditio(n-), which comes from the verb tradere, meaning "to hand over, betray." If you commit treason, that’s what you do: you betray. The word is typically used to refer to the betrayal of a government or a country, like when a spy shares national secrets with another country, but it can be used to refer to personal betrayals as well.
Vocabulary lists containing treason
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act I
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Liberty, Equality, Vocabulary: The French Revolution
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"The Hunger Games" Vocabulary from Chapter 1
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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.
Authorities are detaining people and warning such acts could be considered treason.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
There were shouts of treason, but Gen. Washington intervened on Willing’s behalf, calling him a “worthy, well-disposed man.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
He denied the charges of failure to report treason and was remanded in prison until next week when his case will be heard.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
He has been held under house arrest since he was found guilty of treason in 2023.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
She was to be tried for high treason whilst the little queen and her cousins flew off as free as birds.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
