# treason

/ˈtɹizən/ (US) · /tɹˈiːzən/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 1. betrayal of one's country

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the crime of helping your country's enemies or trying to destroy its government.

For teachers: the criminal act of betraying one's own nation, especially by attempting to overthrow the government or assisting an enemy during wartime.

- The soldier was found guilty of treason for selling secret documents to the enemy.
- The high court deliberated for weeks before convicting the former official of high treason for his role in the failed coup attempt.

Usage: Often used in the phrase 'high treason' to describe the most serious level of the crime.

Teaching tip: In modern legal contexts, this is a very specific and rare charge; in casual conversation, it is often used hyperbolically to describe any major betrayal.

### 2. betrayal of trust

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary

a major act of being disloyal to someone who trusts you.

For teachers: a violation of allegiance or of faith and confidence; a figurative extension of the legal crime to personal relationships.

- To many fans, the captain's decision to join a rival team felt like a personal treason.
- She viewed his sudden silence not merely as a misunderstanding, but as a profound treason against their decade-long friendship.

Teaching tip: This sense is more common in literature or dramatic speech than in everyday functional English.

## Examples

- The soldier was arrested and charged with treason.
- During the revolution, several high-ranking officials were executed for treason after they were caught passing secrets to the opposing army.
- The legal threshold for treason is intentionally high in many democracies to prevent the charge from being used as a political tool to silence dissent or legitimate opposition.

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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.