treason

noun

trea·​son ˈtrē-zᵊn How to pronounce treason (audio)
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

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 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.
There has been no evidence to suggest that Vindman is on the payroll of Ukrainian oligarchs or has committed treason. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2024 Venezuela's opposition is calling for mass worldwide protests this Sunday after the regime of President Nicolás Maduro opened a criminal investigation for alleged treason against opposition leader María Corina Machado. Russell Contreras, Axios, 26 Nov. 2024 Jaswant Singh Chail received nine years in prison after his February 2023 conviction for treason. Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 18 Nov. 2024 The man was handed a nine-year prison sentence for treason, possession of an offensive weapon, and making threats to kill. Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 18 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for treason 

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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

Dictionary Entries Near treason

Cite this Entry

“Treason.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/treason. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

treason

noun
trea·​son ˈtrēz-ᵊn How to pronounce treason (audio)
1
: the betrayal of a trust : treachery
2
: the crime of attempting to overthrow the government of one's country or of attempting to kill or injure the ruler or the ruler's family
Etymology

Middle English tresoun "treason," from early French traisun (same meaning), from Latin tradition-, traditio "the action of handing over, tradition, betrayal," from tradere "to hand over, betray," from tra-, trans- "across" and dare "to give" — related to tradition, traitor

Word Origin
The words treason and tradition both come from the same Latin source. The Latin word traditio meant "teaching" or "tradition." These senses developed from its basic meaning, which was "the act of handing something over." Tradition is maintained by passing information from one generation to another. One kind of treason is committed when someone who has been entrusted with secret information passes it on to someone else. The word tradition was borrowed directly from the Latin traditio. Treason, on the other hand, came to us through early French, where traditio had changed into the word traisun.

Legal Definition

treason

noun
trea·​son ˈtrēz-ᵊn How to pronounce treason (audio)
: 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 adjective
Etymology

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

More from Merriam-Webster on treason

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