Traitor

/ˈtɹeɪtə(ɹ)/ adj, noun, verb

adj, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: Someone who violates an allegiance and betrays their country; someone guilty of treason; one who, in breach of trust, delivers their country to an enemy, or yields up any fort or place entrusted to their defense, or surrenders an army or body of troops to the enemy, unless when vanquished.
  • Grammar: traitor is listed as adj, noun, verb.
  • Nearest alternatives: betrayer, adulteresses, agitator, apostate.
  • Useful contrasts: loyal follower, ally, faithfuls.
  • Usage evidence: The traitor was deprived of his citizenship.

How to use "traitor"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "traitor" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "traitor" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "traitor" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "traitor" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "traitor" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "betrayer" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "traitor", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Someone who violates an allegiance and betrays their country; someone guilty of treason; one who, in breach of trust, delivers their country to an enemy, or yields up any fort or place entrusted to their defense, or surrenders an army or body of troops to the enemy, unless when vanquished.

    "After World War I, the communists and Jews were accused to be traitors by the German right wing (the "stab-in-the-back myth"), ultimately culminating in their persecution and massacre."

  2. 2
    a person who says one thing and does another wordnet
  3. 3
    Someone who takes arms and levies war against their country; or one who aids an enemy in conquering their country.
  4. 4
    someone who betrays their country by committing treason wordnet
  5. 5
    One who betrays any confidence or trust. broadly

    "It's second nature now to think myself a traitor To myself, to all I've ever burdened with my rotting visage I can't breathe, the weight of all I've disappointed crushes me If I were happy, it would feel as if I couldn't trust me"

Verb
  1. 1
    To act the traitor toward; to betray; to deceive.
Adjective
  1. 1
    Traitorous.

    "to find a subject staid and wise Already half turn'd traitor by surprise"

Antonyms

loyal followerallyfaithfulsfidel

Example

"The traitor was deprived of his citizenship."

Common questions

What does "traitor" mean?

Someone who violates an allegiance and betrays their country; someone guilty of treason; one who, in breach of trust, delivers their country to an enemy, or yields up any fort or place entrusted to their defense, or surrenders an army or body of troops to the enemy, unless when vanquished.

What is a synonym for "traitor"?

Common synonyms include: betrayer, adulteresses, agitator, apostate, archtraitor, backslider.

How do you use "traitor" in a sentence?

The traitor was deprived of his citizenship.

How do you pronounce "traitor"?

Pronounced /ˈtɹeɪtə(ɹ)/.

Etymology

From Middle English traitor, traitour, traytour, from Old French traïtor (French traître), from Latin trāditor. Displaced native Middle English swike from Old English swica (“traitor”), and Middle English proditour and traditour borrowed directly from Latin. The general Old English word denoting "traitor" was lǣwa or lǣwend. Doublet of traditor.

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