Meaning & use
treasonous
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableformal
Involving or guilty of treason, meaning a serious betrayal of your own country or its ruler.
Grammar: Describes acts, plans or words: a treasonous plot.
Patterns
- treasonous to something
- a treasonous act
The general was arrested for passing secret plans to the enemy, a treasonous act.
The letters were judged treasonous and used as evidence at his trial.
In wartime, even a casual remark could be called treasonous.
adjectivecomparablefigurativehumorous
Deeply disloyal to a group, cause or person, even though no real crime has been committed.
Grammar: Often exaggerated or humorous: a treasonous thought.
Patterns
- treasonous to something
Supporting the rival team felt treasonous to him.
Her treasonous suggestion that we skip the family tradition shocked everyone.
Ordering pineapple on a pizza is treasonous in some households.
Word forms
| comparative | more treasonous |
|---|---|
| superlative | most treasonous |
Common combinations
- a treasonous act
- Selling military secrets was a treasonous act.
- treasonous activity
- Police uncovered treasonous activity within the ministry.
- treasonous plot
- A treasonous plot against the queen was discovered.
- treasonous words
- He was jailed for treasonous words he spoke in a pub.
- treasonous behavior
- The senator accused his rival of treasonous behavior.
Synonyms and how they differ
- traitorous
- Traitorous is close in meaning but more often describes a person or a person's character than an act or document.
- disloyal
- Disloyal is much weaker and can describe small betrayals, while treasonous suggests betraying a whole nation.
- seditious
- Seditious refers to stirring up rebellion against authority, but treasonous suggests actually betraying the country to an enemy.
Opposites
Word family
- treason noun
- The crime of betraying your country.
- traitor noun
- A person who betrays their country or group.
- treasonously adverb
- In a way that betrays one's country.
- traitorous adjective
- Disloyal, like a traitor.
Commonly confused: treasonous or treacherous?
treasonous vs treacherous
Treacherous describes a disloyal person or something dangerous and deceptive, such as a treacherous road, while treasonous is about betraying your country.
Practice
Handing the army's secret codes to a foreign power would be a ______ act.
Choose one answer.
Treasonous describes acts of treason against one's country. Trespassing means entering land unlawfully, tremendous means very great, and the last option is not a normal expression.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “treasonous”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.