trea·son

(trē′zən)

1. The betrayal of allegiance toward one's own country, especially by committing hostile acts against it or aiding its enemies in committing such acts.

2. The betrayal of someone's trust or confidence.

[Middle English, from Anglo-Norman treson, from Latin trāditiō, trāditiōn-, a handing over; see tradition.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

treason

(ˈtriːzən)

1. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) violation or betrayal of the allegiance that a person owes his sovereign or his country, esp by attempting to overthrow the government; high treason

2. any treachery or betrayal

[C13: from Old French traïson, from Latin trāditiō a handing over; see tradition, traditor]

ˈtreasonable, ˈtreasonous adj

ˈtreasonableness n

ˈtreasonably adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

trea•son

(ˈtri zən)

n.

1. the offense of acting to overthrow one's government or to harm or kill its sovereign.

2. a violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or state.

3. the betrayal of a trust or confidence; treachery.

[1175–1225; Middle English tre(i)so(u)n < Anglo-French; Old French traïson < Latin trāditiōnem, acc. of trāditiō a handing over. See tradition]

syn: treason, sedition mean disloyalty or treachery to one's country or its government. treason is any attempt to overthrow the government or impair the well-being of a state to which one owes allegiance. According to the U.S. Constitution, it is the crime of levying war against the U.S. or giving aid and comfort to its enemies. sedition is any act, writing, speech, etc., directed unlawfully against state authority, the government, or the constitution, or calculated to bring it into contempt or to incite others to hostility or disaffection; it does not amount to treason and therefore is not a capital offense.

treason

Violation of the allegiance owed to one's sovereign or state; betrayal of one's country.

Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. US Department of Defense 2005.

Treason

treason

noun disloyalty, mutiny, treachery, subversion, disaffection, duplicity, sedition, perfidy, lese-majesty, traitorousness Queen of England for nine days, she was beheaded for treason.
loyalty, allegiance, fidelity, patriotism, faithfulness, fealty

Quotations
"Treason doth never prosper, what's the reason"
"For if it prosper, none dare call it treason" [Sir John Harington Epigrams]

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

treason

noun

1. Willful violation of allegiance to one's country:

sedition, seditiousness, traitorousness.

2. Willful betrayal of fidelity, confidence, or trust:

perfidy, treacherousness, treachery.

Translations

خِيانَه

velezradavlastizradazrada

højforræderilandsforræderi

Verrat

προδοσία

trahison

hazaárulás

föîurlandssvik, landráî

tradimento

išdavimas

nodevība

landsforræderi landssvik

государственная измена измена предательство

vlastizrada

izdaja

vatana ihanet

叛国

treason

[ˈtriːzn] N → traición f
high treason → alta traición f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

treason

[ˈtriːz^ən] n → trahison f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

treason

n → Verrat m (→ to an +dat); an act of treason → Verrat m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

treason

[ˈtriːzn] n → tradimento

treason

(ˈtriːzn) noun

(also high treason) disloyalty to, or betrayal of, one's own country. They were convicted of (high) treason.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.

The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

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New Distribution of Horses- Secret Information of Treason in the Camp.- Rose the Interpreter- His Perfidious Character- His Plots.

Edward Rose, the interpreter, whose sinister looks we have already mentioned, was denounced by this secret informer as a designing, treacherous scoundrel, who was tampering with the fidelity of certain of the men, and instigating them to a flagrant piece of treason. In the course of a few days they would arrive at the mountainous district infested by the Upsarokas or Crows, the tribe among which Rose was to officiate as interpreter.

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This lord, in conjunction with Flimnap the high-treasurer, whose enmity against you is notorious on account of his lady, Limtoc the general, Lalcon the chamberlain, and Balmuff the grand justiciary, have prepared articles of impeachment against you, for treason and other capital crimes."

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The upshot of all this was that when Boxtel, who watched the course of political events much more attentively than his neighbour Cornelius was used to do, heard the news of the brothers De Witt being arrested on a charge of high treason against the States, he thought within his heart that very likely he needed only to say one word, and the godson would be arrested as well as the godfather.

"Cornelius de Witt is a bad citizen, as he is charged with high treason, and arrested.

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"Don't you know you are guilty of treason, and that there is a law against treason?"

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As treason may be committed against the United States, the authority of the United States ought to be enabled to punish it.

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"You must, nevertheless, have committed a crime, since you are here and are accused of high treason."

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"In the matter of Treason the pig would appear To have aided, but scarcely abetted: While the charge of Insolvency fails, it is clear, If you grant the plea 'never indebted.'

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The governor of New York may pardon in all cases, even in those of impeachment, except for treason and murder.

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Noun	1.	treason - a crime that undermines the offender's government high treason, lese majesty crime, criminal offence, criminal offense, law-breaking, offense, offence - (criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act; "a long record of crimes"
	2.	treason - disloyalty by virtue of subversive behavior subversiveness, traitorousness disloyalty - the quality of being disloyal betrayal - the quality of aiding an enemy
	3.	treason - an act of deliberate betrayal betrayal, perfidy, treachery knavery, dishonesty - lack of honesty; acts of lying or cheating or stealing double cross, double-crossing - an act of betrayal; "he gave us the old double cross"; "I could no longer tolerate his impudent double-crossing" sellout - an act of betrayal