treason

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noun trea·son \ˈtrē-z^ən\

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

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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

This puts Howard County government (and by inference, all the rest of us) in the position of endorsing treason, slavery and white supremacy.

— Howard County Times, "Confederate monument sends the wrong message [Letter]," 19 July 2017
But there is a long way to go before any responsible person starts making incendiary claims about treason.

— david harsanyi, National Review, "Trump Jr.’s Meeting Might Not Rise to Treason," 14 July 2017
Richard Painter, who served as White House ethics chief under George W Bush, wrote that such behavior could amount to treason.

— abigail tracy, The Hive, "Trump Officially Adopts the “Everybody Would Do That” Defense," 13 July 2017
Some politicians, lawyers, and pundits are characterizing the emails as legal proof of perjury, the felonious solicitation of a campaign contribution from a foreign national, or even treason.

— frank rich, Daily Intelligencer, "Watching the Downfall of a Presidency in Real Time," 12 July 2017
As the only crime defined in the Constitution, treason is a serious offense.

— tessa berenson, Time, "Was Donald Trump Jr.'s Russia Meeting Illegal? Here's What Experts Say," 12 July 2017
Kaine wasn’t the only Democrat in Congress to raise the possibility of treason on Tuesday.

— clare foran, The Atlantic, "‘These Emails Are Very Explosive’," 11 July 2017
The Declaration constituted high treason against the Crown.

— randy barnett, Washington Post, "What the Declaration of Independence Said and Meant," 4 July 2017
Signing your name to something like this was considered treason.

— petula dvorak, chicagotribune.com, "Uncovering the real story behind a woman's name on the Declaration of Independence," 3 July 2017

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

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TREASON Defined for English Language Learners

treason

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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

play

noun trea·son \ˈtrē-z^ən\

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

play

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

treasonous

\-əs\ play 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