treason

noun trea·son \ ˈtrē-zᵊn \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

Definition of treason

1 : the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign or the sovereign's family

2 : the betrayal of a trust : treachery

See treason defined for English-language learners

See treason defined for kids

Examples of treason in a Sentence

He is guilty of treason.
reading a friend's diary without permission would have to be regarded as the ultimate act of personal treason

Recent Examples of treason from the Web

Its leader, Kem Sokha, is being held in a maximum-security prison on charges of treason.

— holly robertson, latimes.com, "Cambodia's 'last bastion of independent media' is thrown into turmoil," 9 May 2018
When the French officer Alfred Dreyfus was accused of treason in 1894, public opinion was sundered in half.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "Is Kanye West “the Ezra Pound of Rap”?," 30 Apr. 2018
Then Morsi was placed inside a cage in a courtroom, where he was tried for murder and treason.

— rachel aviv, The New Yorker, "Cairo: A Type of Love Story," 30 Apr. 2018
Agreeing or compromising with them was almost akin to treason.

— david holahan, The Christian Science Monitor, "'The Class of '74' chronicles a young, liberal, and impatient House of Representatives," 12 Apr. 2018
It has been dismissed as a sham by opposition leaders and rights groups, and a call for a boycott by the opposition was criticized by government supporters as tantamount to treason.

— hamza hendawi and samy magdy, Fox News, "Egypt tries to boost voter turnout with incentives, threats," 28 Mar. 2018
But the points the episode makes about police brutality are undermined by the heavy-handed resolution that sees good cop Lyta arrested for treason after stopping her subordinate from killing more unarmed civilians.

— samantha nelson, The Verge, "What Syfy’s Superman prequel series Krypton is doing right," 12 Apr. 2018
Before one hearing on the events in Colorado, a witness said Rockefeller had committed treason and should face murder charges.

— daniel fernandez, Smithsonian, "Before Zuckerberg, These Six Corporate Titans Testified Before Congress," 10 Apr. 2018
During later calls, Bishop told dispatchers that Olmos Park Police Chief Rene Valenciano should be placed under a citizen’s arrest for treason, the warrant states.

— emilie eaton, San Antonio Express-News, "Olmos Park police face violent threats after arresting gun rights activist," 30 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'treason.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of treason

Middle English tresoun, from Anglo-French traisun, from Latin tradition-, traditio act of handing over, from tradere to hand over, betray — more at traitor

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First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 2

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treason Synonyms

TREASON Defined for English Language Learners

treason

noun

Definition of treason for English Language Learners

: the crime of trying to overthrow your country's government or of helping your country's enemies during war

TREASON Defined for Kids

treason

noun trea·son \ ˈtrē-zᵊn \

Definition of treason for Students

: the crime of trying or helping to overthrow the government of the criminal's own country or cause its defeat in war

Law Dictionary

treason

noun trea·son \ ˈtrēz-ᵊn \

legal Definition of treason

: the offense of attempting to overthrow the government of one's country or of assisting its enemies in war; specifically : the act of levying war against the United States or adhering to or giving aid and comfort to its enemies by one who owes it allegiance

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treasonous

play \-əs\ adjective

Origin and Etymology of treason

Anglo-French treison crime of violence against a person to whom allegiance is owed, literally, betrayal, from Old French traïson, from traïr to betray, from Latin tradere to hand over, surrender