Definitions for treason
ˈtri zəntrea·son

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:4.0 / 1 vote

1. treason, high treason, lese majestynoun

   a crime that undermines the offender's government

2. treason, subversiveness, traitorousnessnoun

   disloyalty by virtue of subversive behavior

3. treachery, betrayal, treason, perfidynoun

   an act of deliberate betrayal

WiktionaryRate this definition:3.7 / 3 votes

1. treasonnoun

   The crime of betraying one's government.

2. treasonnoun

   Providing aid and comfort to the enemy.

3. Etymology: From tresoun, treison, from treson, from traïson, from traditionem, accusative of traditio, from trado, from.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. TREASONnoun

   An offence committed against the dignity and majesty of the commonwealth: it is divided into high treason and petit treason. High treason is an offence against the security of the commonwealth, or of the king’s majesty, whether by imagination, word, or deed; as to compass or imagine treason, or the death of the prince, or the queen consort, or his son and heir-apparent; or to deflower the king’s wife, or his eldest daughter unmarried, or his eldest son’s wife; or levy war against the king in his realm, or to adhere to his enemies by aiding them; or to counterfeit the king’s great seal, privy seal, or money; or knowingly to bring false money into this realm counterfeited like the money of England, and to utter the same; or to kill the king’s chancellor, treasurer, justice of the one bench, or of the other; justices in Eyre, justices of assize, justices of oyer and terminer, when in their place and doing their duty; or forging the king’s seal manual, or privy signet; or diminishing or impairing the current money: and, in such treason, a man forfeits his lands and goods to the king: and it is called treason paramount. Petit treason is when a servant kills his master, a wife her husband; secular or religious kills his prelate: this treason gives forfeiture to every lord within his own fee: both treasons are capital. John Cowell

   Etymology: trahison, French.

   Man disobeying,
   Disloyal breaks his fealty, and sins
   Against the high supremacy of heaven:
   To expiate his treason hath nought left. John Milton.

   He made the overture of thy treasons to us. William Shakespeare.

   Athaliah cried, treason, treason. 2 Kings xi. 14.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Treasonnoun

   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

2. Treasonnoun

   loosely, the betrayal of any trust or confidence; treachery; perfidy

FreebaseRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Treason

   In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife or that of a master by his servant or slave. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a lesser superior was petty treason. A person who commits treason is known in law as a traitor. Oran's Dictionary of the Law defines treason as "...[a]...citizen's actions to help a foreign government overthrow, make war against, or seriously injure the [parent nation]." In many nations, it is also often considered treason to attempt or conspire to overthrow the government, even if no foreign country is aiding or involved by such an endeavor. Outside legal spheres, the word "traitor" may also be used to describe a person who betrays their own political party, nation, family, friends, ethnic group, team, religion, social class, or other group to which they may belong. Often, such accusations are controversial and disputed, as the person may not identify with the group of which they are a member, or may otherwise disagree with the group members making the charge. See, for example, race traitor, often used by White supremacists and of people in inter-racial relationships.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:3.0 / 1 vote

1. 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.]

Dictionary of Military and Associated TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. treason

   Violation of the allegiance owed to one

Military Dictionary and GazetteerRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. 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.

Matched Categories

1. • Dishonesty
   • Disloyalty

Anagrams for treason »

1. nor'-east

2. rotanes

3. senator

4. atoners

5. rosetan

6. noreast

7. seatron

How to pronounce treason?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say treason in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of treason in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of treason in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of treason in a Sentence

1. Jamie Raskin:

   The Constitution calls for impeachment in cases of bribery, treason and other high crimes and misdemeanors, so the legal case should indeed be compelling, the evidence should be overwhelming and the politics should be bipartisan. He may not be worth it but of course that's not the standard. The country is certainly worth it if The Constitution and the public interest demand it.

2. Kelly Ayotte:

   It worries me about the climate and the tone that set if members — airmen, airwomen — are told that they would be committing treason for communicating with us.

3. President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday:

   We don't have a road plan in front of us. Those with guns in their hands and those who support them will pay the price of treason.

4. William Allen White:

   Any appeasement of tyranny is treason to this republic and to the democratic ideal.

5. Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel:

   Those who accuse democratically elected politicians of treason, call them 'parties of the system' and menace journalists as 'lying press' - they are very close to the language of the enemies of democracy, the Nazis of the '20s and '30s.

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