treasonous
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of treasonous
Explanation
Anything treasonous involves a betrayal, particularly of your country. Your sister might consider it treasonous if you tell your parents she skipped school to go to the beach. When we betray our friends or families, that's personally treasonous. To betray your country is legally treasonous, since it's a punishable crime. It would be treasonous for a CIA agent to hand over U.S. secrets to an enemy spy—and the root of treasonous is the Latin verb tradere, "to hand over or betray."
Vocabulary lists containing treasonous
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"Oedipus the King" by Sophocles
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When My Name Was Keoko
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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.
Since Soviet scholars were entirely isolated—any contact with foreigners constituted treasonous “kowtowing to the West”—Freidenberg could not have known Arendt’s work, but she arrived at similar conclusions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
At the time of Gill's conviction Reform UK said it was glad justice was served, calling his actions "reprehensible, treasonous and unforgivable".
From BBC • Dec. 16, 2025
It was called “constructive treason,” because there was no act, but courts construed such forms of speech to be treasonous.
From Slate • Nov. 21, 2025
In my America, like Pope Leo’s, speaking multiple tongues and being a citizen of multiple countries is normal, not treasonous — Leo is a dual Peruvian U.S. citizen who speaks five languages.
From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2025
"Enough. Ser Balon made a jest. I am not interested in treasonous table talk, Lord Varys."
From "A Clash of Kings" 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.
