treason

[tree-zuhn]

noun

1. the offense of acting to overthrow one's government or to harm or kill its sovereign.

2. a violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or to one's state.

3. the betrayal of a trust or confidence; breach of faith; treachery.

treason

/ ˈtriːzən /

noun

1. violation or betrayal of the allegiance that a person owes his sovereign or his country, esp by attempting to overthrow the government; high treason

2. any treachery or betrayal

Other Word Forms

• treasonableness noun
• treasonable adjective
• treasonably adverb
• supertreason noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of treason¹

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”; tradition

Word History and Origins

Origin of treason¹

C13: from Old French traïson , from Latin trāditiō a handing over; see _tradition , _traditor

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Saudi Arabia has executed a Saudi journalist who was arrested in 2018 and convicted of terrorism and treason.

From Los Angeles Times

Carl repeatedly called the Democratic Party “the treason party,” along with referring to Democrats as “evil.”

From Salon

Mutharika was charged with treason after being accused of being part of a plot to hide his brother's death to give him time to manoeuvre to keep Banda out of the presidency.

From BBC

The call came after Machar - currently under house arrest - was charged with murder, treason and crimes against humanity.

From BBC

Similarly, in October 1779, two suspected Tory spies captured in the Hudson Highlands were shot on the spot, their execution justified as punishment for treason.

From Salon

Related Words

• crime 
• mutiny 
• sedition 
• subversion 
• treachery