traitor

Meaning

Noun

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.
2. Someone who takes arms and levies war against their country; or one who aids an enemy in conquering their country.
3. (broadly) One who betrays any confidence or trust.

Verb

To act the traitor toward; to betray; to deceive.

Adj

Traitorous.

Synonyms

betrayer

rebel

deceiver

turncoat

Judas

apostate

recreant

quisling

treasonist

double-crosser

insurgent

treacherous

informer

renegade

double-dealer

betrayal

deserter

thief

hypocrite

two-timer

mutineer

ratter

rumourmonger

traitorly

turn-coat

crafty courtier

rebellious child

knobstick

gonif

goniff

proditorious

traitre

chiseler

crafty

defector

disloyal

double agent

enemy

fraud

gossiper

inconstant

scab

scoundrel

secret agent

spy

squealer

strikebreaker

tattletale

treason

unfaithful

Translations

traître

Verräter

traidor

traditore

traidor

προδότης

traïdor

verrader

traitre

Rebell

Landesverräter

verraadster

خائن

trahir

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈtɹeɪtə(ɹ)/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: traitor

Cognate with French: traître

Cognate with Middle English: proditour

Cognate with Latin: -

In summary

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.