Definition of treason Treason

/tɹiˈzʌn/ - [treezun] - trea•son

We found 13 definitions of treason from 8 different sources.

What does treason mean?

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

= synonym
= antonym
= related word

treason (n.)
The offense of attempting to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance, or of betraying the state into the hands of a foreign power; disloyalty; treachery.
treason (n.)
Loosely, the betrayal of any trust or confidence; treachery; perfidy.

treason
The crime of disloyalty to one's nation or state.
treason
The breaking or violation of a presumptive social contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations.

treason
trē′zn, n. betraying of the government or an attempt to overthrow it: treachery; disloyalty.—adj. Trea′sonable, pertaining to, consisting of, or involving treason.—n. Trea′sonableness.—adv. Trea′sonably.—adj. Trea′sonous.—Treason felony, the crime of desiring to depose the sovereign, intimidate parliament, stir up a foreign invasion, &c.—declared by statute in 1848.—Constructive treason, anything which may be interpreted as equivalent to actual treason by leading naturally to it; High treason, offences against the state; Misprision of treason, knowledge of the principal crime and concealment thereof; Petty treason, the murder of a husband by a wife, a master by a servant, &c. [O. Fr. traïson (Fr. trahison)—trahir—L. tradĕre, to betray.]

treason
A general appellation to denote not only offenses against the king and government, but also that accumulation of guilt which arises whenever a superior reposes confidence in a subject or inferior, between whom and himself there subsists a natural, a civil, or even a spiritual relation; and the inferior so abuses that confidence, so forgets the obligations of duty, subjection, and allegiance, as to destroy the life of any such superior or lord. It is, according to English law, a general name, in short, for treachery against the sovereign or liege lord. High treason (the crimen læsæ majestatis of the Romans) is an offense committed against the security of the king or kingdom, whether by imagination, word, or deed. In the United States, treason is confined to the actual levying of war against the United States; or an adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.

Treason is when a person acts against his country. For example, somebody might help another country fight a war against his country by telling secrets. Treason is a common word, but different countries have different laws and punishments against it.

The word for a person who is treasonous is “traitor”. Some famous traitors are Judas, Benedict Arnold, Pétain and Quisling.