Word
traitor
US/ˈtɹeɪtɝ/
UK/tɹˈeɪtɐ/
Definitions
01betraying a country
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Law
n. someone who helps an enemy of their own country or gives away national secrets.
n. a person who violates an allegiance to their state or sovereign by aiding an enemy or committing treason.
“The soldier was caught selling secret documents and was branded a traitor to his country.”
“History remembers him as a traitor who provided the invading forces with the exact coordinates of the coastal defences.”
Synonyms
02betraying a person or group
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Informal
n. someone who is not loyal to their friends or a group they belong to.
n. one who betrays a personal confidence, a shared cause, or a social group.
“My friends called me a traitor because I started supporting the rival football team.”
“In the cutthroat world of corporate politics, he was viewed as a traitor for leaking the merger details to the press.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Many of those who did survive were treated as traitors on their return home.” “Not after they called me a traitor to my own country.” Etymology
From Middle English traitor, traitour, traytour, from Old French traïtor (French traître), from Latin trāditor. Displaced native Middle English swike from Old English swica (“traitor”), and Middle English proditour and traditour borrowed directly from Latin. The general Old English word denoting "traitor" was lǣwa or lǣwend. Doublet of traditor.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/traitor