treachery

noun

treach·​ery ˈtre-chə-rē How to pronounce treachery (audio)
ˈtrech-rē
plural treacheries
1
: violation of allegiance or of faith and confidence : treason
2
: an act of perfidy or treason

Examples of treachery in a Sentence

a tale of treachery and revenge was furious that she revealed his secret and never forgave her for the treachery
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Hosted by Alan Cumming, the game of treachery and deceit returns to Peacock on Thursday, January 9th. Anne Easton, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 Politics is full of deceit, treachery, and betrayal. . . . Quintus Tullius Cicero, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2012 Triumph shadowed by treachery became the dynamic of both the revolution and his life. Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 19 Sep. 2017 Each of these collective nouns expresses something about the communal experience—the challenges of decision-making, the loudness of many voices, the treachery of intimacy, the delights of it. Lola Milholland, TIME, 3 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for treachery 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English trecherie, from Anglo-French, from trecher, tricher to deceive, from Vulgar Latin *triccare — more at trick entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of treachery was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near treachery

Cite this Entry

“Treachery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/treachery. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

treachery

noun
treach·​ery ˈtrech-(ə-)rē How to pronounce treachery (audio)
plural treacheries
1
: violation of allegiance or of faith and confidence : treason
2
: an act of treason

More from Merriam-Webster on treachery

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!