traitor

noun

trai·​tor ˈtrā-tər 

1

: one who betrays another's trust or is false to an obligation or duty

2

: one who commits treason

Synonyms

• apostate
• backstabber
• betrayer
• double-crosser
• double-dealer
• Judas
• quisling
• recreant
• serpent
• snake
• turncoat

Examples of traitor in a Sentence

She has been called a traitor to the liberal party's cause.

He was a traitor who betrayed his country by selling military secrets to the enemy.

Recent Examples on the Web

In an effort to figure out who the traitor on his team is, Ethan Hunt needs the NOC list, which contains the identities of every American spy. —Mike Ryan, IndieWire, 27 May 2025

The Confederacy — traitors — were fighting to keep my ancestors enslaved. —Hashim Coates, Denver Post, 5 May 2025

The aim is to find the traitors, with one player voted out each day. —Andy Jones, New York Times, 2 May 2025

Stephen Fry, Ted Lasso star Nick Mohammed and singer Paloma Faith are just three of the 19 celebs entering the castle to sniff out the traitors from the faithfuls in the first celebrity season of the smash hit on the BBC. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 13 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English traytour, from Anglo-French traitre, from Latin traditor, from tradere to hand over, deliver, betray, from trans-, tra- trans- + dare to give — more at date

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing traitor

• turn traitor

Rhymes for traitor

• cater
• crater
• frater
• freighter
• gator
• grater
• greater
• hater
• krater
• later
• plater
• prater

Kids Definition

traitor

noun

trai·​tor ˈtrāt-ər 

1

: one who betrays another's trust or is false to an obligation or duty

2

: one who commits treason

Etymology

Middle English traitre "traitor," from early French traitre (same meaning), from Latin traditor (same meaning), derived from tradere "to hand over, betray" — related to treason see Word History at treason