Word
treasonous
Phoneticstrea·sonous
US/ˈtɹizəˌnəs/
UK/tɹˈiːzənəs/
Definition
adj. acting against your own country, like helping its enemies or trying to remove its government. You use it for actions, plans, or words that betray the country.
adj. involving or constituting betrayal of one's sovereign state, typically by aiding its enemies or attempting to overthrow its government. Often applied to acts, statements, or intentions that violate allegiance to the state.
Examples
“They call his speech treasonous and demand his arrest.”
“The newspaper accused the officer of treasonous behavior after he shared secret maps with a foreign army.”
“Historians still debate whether her letters to the exiled prince were merely sympathetic or actively treasonous in intent.”
Examples
simple
“They call his speech treasonous and demand his arrest.”
contextual
“The newspaper accused the officer of treasonous behavior after he shared secret maps with a foreign army.”
complex
“Historians still debate whether her letters to the exiled prince were merely sympathetic or actively treasonous in intent.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “treasonous” in context.
Verb
01. deem treasonous
“The court must decide if the general's secret meetings should be deemed treasonous.”
verb + adj
02. label treasonous
“Opposition leaders were labeled treasonous for criticizing the war effort.”
verb + adj
03. treasonous act
“Selling state secrets to a foreign power is a clearly treasonous act.”
adj + noun
04. treasonous conduct
“The officer was court-martialed for his treasonous conduct during the occupation.”
adj + noun
05. treasonous plot
“Intelligence agencies uncovered a treasonous plot to overthrow the government.”
adj + noun
Adjective
06. outright treasonous
“His public calls for a military coup were condemned as outright treasonous.”
adv + adj
07. potentially treasonous
“The leaked documents contained potentially treasonous information regarding national defense.”
adv + adj
Noun
08. charge of treasonous
“He faced a formal charge of treasonous conspiracy against the crown.”
noun + prep + adj
09. amount to treasonous behavior
“Sharing the encryption codes would amount to treasonous behavior.”
10. border on the treasonous
“Some argued that the senator's rhetoric began to border on the treasonous.”
11. engage in treasonous activity
“The group was accused of engaging in treasonous activity with enemy agents.”
Real-World Examples
“In 1441, the crucial offense was not that Eleanor's associates had cast Henry VI's horoscope, but that they had done so without permission; that was the treasonous act.” “Now 80, Hanning is in custody charged with treasonous espionage.” “The fact that Prigozhin and his top field commanders sat down with Putin in the Kremlin days after the Russian leader called their actions a treasonous "stab in the back" which could have pushed Russia into a chaotic civil war is certain to raise more questions about what is going on behind the scenes.” “He accused those who had pursued such allegations of being 'treasonous,' engaging in 'evil acts,' and suggested they should face their own investigations.” 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.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL 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: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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