Meaning & use

traitor

noun·Academic

A person who betrays their country, cause, friend, or trust, especially by helping an enemy.

See it in a sentence

History remembers him as a traitor for selling military secrets to the enemy.

Her old friends called her a traitor after she testified against them in court.

A note on using this word

Traitor is a strong, accusatory word, generally reserved for serious betrayals of trust, loyalty, or national allegiance.

Words with a similar meaning

betrayerturncoat

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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