de·fec·tion | \ di-ˈfek-shən 
\
\Definition of defection
: conscious abandonment of allegiance or duty (as to a person, cause, or doctrine) : desertion
Examples of defection in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web The defection of Republican voters who backed the Democratic president-elect but voted GOP for Congress and in state and local races are the culprit.
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David M. Drucker, Washington Examiner, "Top House conservative plots post-Trump GOP," 19 Nov. 2020 There’s even a bit of Hollywood in the mix, in the form of celebs such as Scott Baio, Kirstie Alley and new age-y keyboardist and TV presenter John Tesh, whose very public defection from Twitter brought out the quipsters.
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Los Angeles Times, "Column: Parler’s vibe is MAGA-red and unreal. Extremism by design?," 25 Nov. 2020 When their defection drew notice, contributors sent nearly forty thousand dollars, with no real effort.
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Peter Slevin, The New Yorker, "North Carolina County Commissioners Lose Seats After Abandoning the G.O.P.," 7 Nov. 2020 Some in the president’s orbit have been nervously looking toward Capitol Hill for signs of a Republican defection.
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Jill Colvin, Star Tribune, "Trump, who never admits defeat, mulls how to keep up fight," 8 Nov. 2020 Some in the president’s orbit have been nervously looking toward Capitol Hill for signs of a Republican defection.
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Anchorage Daily News, "Trump mulls how to keep up fight," 8 Nov. 2020 The Democratic success in 2018 and 2020 has been credited in part to the crusade against Trump, particularly the defection of suburban voters dissatisfied with his policies and conduct, to the Democratic Party.
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Gromer Jeffers Jr., Dallas News, "Republicans send Democrats an Election Day message: Texas is still red," 3 Nov. 2020 With a diversifying electorate and a defection of traditionally Republican voters in the suburbs, however, Texas suddenly looks more competitive than ever this election.
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Dustin Gardiner, SFChronicle.com, "2020 Election Live Updates: Kamala Harris heads to Texas to try to turn it blue," 28 Oct. 2020 Steps away in the same parking lot, Mr. Whitfield’s Republican opponent, Jeff Cason, disputed any notion of a widespread Republican defection.
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Manny Fernandez, New York Times, "Democrats Hope 2020 Is the Year They Flip the Texas House," 25 Oct. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'defection.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Time Traveler for defection
The first known use of defection was in 1532
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