treason

noun trea·son \ ˈtrē-zᵊn \

|Updated on: 31 Aug 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

In one known instance, a 9-year-old boy was imprisoned for 10 years because his grandfather was accused of treason.

— NBC News, "U.S. won't bring up North Korea's human rights issues at Singapore summit," 11 June 2018
This pick, for a poet who was manifestly guilty of fascism and treason, was widely criticized in the press and provoked bitter feuds.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "Is Kanye West “the Ezra Pound of Rap”?," 30 Apr. 2018
Carmichael, the Fifth Third CEO, would not comment on Trump's remarks about treason and the Democrats.

— sharon coolidge, Cincinnati.com, "Trump calls Dems 'treasonous' and 'un-American' while touting tax law in Cincinnati," 5 Feb. 2018
Aviator Charles Lindbergh went from national hero to the object of murmurs of treason for his resistance to World War II.

— doug struck, The Christian Science Monitor, "As Americans celebrate Independence Day, what does it mean to be a patriot?," 2 July 2018
For a period of about 20 hours, the newspaper’s sites were disrupted, for a time displaying an image of Guy Fawkes, the 17th Century English political activist executed for treason who has become the symbol of the Anonymous hacker movement.

— steve rubenstein, SFChronicle.com, "Richmond man faces up to 23 years in prison for hacking Peninsula news sites," 7 June 2018
And indeed, President George Washington's very first use of executive clemency came in pardoning men convicted of treason in the Whiskey Rebellion of 1791.

— gregory korte, USA TODAY, "Can Trump really do that? The presidential pardon power, explained," 4 June 2018
Moreover, Johnson knew that the 1968 Republican candidate Richard Nixon was working with Henry Kissinger to undermine peace talks with the Vietnamese, thereby helping Nixon’s own campaign in an action bordering on treason.

— alan wolfe, The New Republic, "A Most Violent Year," 18 May 2018
Also in exile are a large number of opposition mayors who have been accused of treason by the regime.

— antonio maria delgado, miamiherald, "Venezuela has two supreme courts, two opposing congresses in power struggle with Maduro | Miami Herald," 19 Apr. 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