# traitor

/ˈtɹeɪtɝ/ (US) · /tɹˈeɪtɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/traitor
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. betraying a country

noun · CEFR B2

someone who helps an enemy of their own country or gives away national secrets.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. betraying a person or group

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

someone who is not loyal to their friends or a group they belong to.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- He was called a traitor for joining the rival team.
- The general was executed after he was found to be a traitor who sold secrets to the enemy.
- History often reframes the figure of the traitor, as those once branded as such by a falling regime are frequently celebrated as heroes by the succeeding one.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.