betrayal

noun

be·​tray·​al bi-ˈtrā(-ə)l 

bē-

plural betrayals

1

: the act of betraying someone or something or the fact of being betrayed : violation of a person's trust or confidence, of a moral standard, etc.

the betrayal of a friend

a betrayal of trust

a betrayal of one's principles

A man who built his entire administration upon demanding unctuous loyalty from his allies now finds himself wounded by their shabby betrayal.

—Jack Hitt

The double life of an informant is a peculiar one, filled at the same time with tedium and betrayal.

—Karen Richardson

Even Jesus recognized that there was something paradoxical about his betrayal by Judas Iscariot—in three of the four canonical Gospels, with a kiss.

—David Gates

2

: revelation of something hidden or secret

a betrayal of one's true feelings

There was never doubt, never a betrayal of indecision.

—Jack London

… she had shrunk with irresistible dread from every course that could tend towards a betrayal of her miserable secret.

—George Eliot

Synonyms

• backstabbing
• business
• disloyalty
• double cross
• faithlessness
• falseness
• falsity
• infidelity
• perfidy
• sellout
• treachery
• treason
• two-timing
• unfaithfulness

Examples of betrayal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Morgan’s work, co-produced by Netflix in the streamer’s first Broadway foray, maps a morality play onto its portrait of betrayal while also sketching Putin’s rise to power. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Apr. 2024

Amid motherhood and career demands, betrayals, threats, disappearances, and natural disasters, Elena and Lila once again reside in the same neighborhood. —Jack Dunn, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024

Its members share histories of fierce competition as well as personal and political betrayal, which can sometimes color the details that leak out. —Russell Goldman, New York Times, 16 Apr. 2024

The conflict was personal; there was betrayal, a double agent, a secret team of political operatives, — and a decisive victory for one side that left the other bitter. —Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 15 Apr. 2024

The hard knocks of family life as a child, and betrayal by the Royal Navy, had shattered any dreams Avery once cherished. —Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024

Barrera’s supporters on social media saw Campbell’s return as a betrayal. —Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Mar. 2024

But the legislation was assailed by members of the House Freedom Caucus, the far-right bloc that has bedeviled its own party’s speakers for years, as a betrayal by Mr. Johnson, for both its content and the way it was handled. —Carl Hulse, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2024

Cheating on one’s spouse may be a betrayal of the heart, but in New York State, it’s long been a criminal offense. —Kim Bellware, Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing betrayal

• self-betrayal