How do you use the word "traitor" in a sentence?

Here are real-life examples of using "traitor": We have a traitor among us. The soldiers turned traitor.

Traitor Meaning

/ˈtɹeɪtə(ɹ)/

Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.

Definition

nounSomeone who violates an allegiance and betrays their country; someone guilty of treason; one who, in breach of trust, delivers their country to an enemy, or yields up any fort or place entrusted to their defense, or surrenders an army or body of troops to the enemy, unless when vanquished.

nounSomeone who takes arms and levies war against their country; or one who aids an enemy in conquering their country.

Sentence Examples

We have a traitor among us.

The soldiers turned traitor.

The traitor betrayed his country to the enemy.

CEFR Practice Quiz

The army arrested the ____ who sold secret plans to the enemy.

CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)

The man was accused of being a ____ because he had supposedly leaked several important secrets to a rival group today.

Word Origin & History

From Middle English traitor, traitour, traytour, from Old French traïtor (French traître), from Latin trāditor. Displaced native Middle English swike from Old English swica (“traitor”), and Middle English proditour and traditour borrowed directly from Latin. The general Old English word denoting "traitor" was lǣwa or lǣwend. Doublet of traditor.

Literary Quotations & Historical Citations

"My Lord of Hereford here whom you call King, / Is a foule traitour to proud Herefords King, / And if you crowne him let me propheſie, / The bloud of Engliſh ſhall manure the ground, / And future ages groane for this foule act, [...]" — 1595 December 9 (first known performance), [William Shakespeare], The Tragedie of King Richard the Second. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Valentine Simmes for Androw Wise, […], published 1597, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:

"Yes, that was Vice President Spiro Agnew commemorating the "loyalty" of literal traitors. But what can you really expect from a man whose name rearranged spells "grow a penis."" — 2017 October 8, “Confederacy” (14:45 from the start), in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 4, episode 26, John Oliver (actor), via HBO:

"It's second nature now to think myself a traitor To myself, to all I've ever burdened with my rotting visage I can't breathe, the weight of all I've disappointed crushes me If I were happy, it would feel as if I couldn't trust me" — 2019, Patricia Taxxon, “Cold Water”, in Doraemon:

"It took you two weeks To go off and date her Guess you didn't cheat But you're still, you're still a traitor Yeah, you're still a traitor" — 2021, Olivia Rodrigo, Dan Nigro, “Traitor”, in Sour, performed by Olivia Rodrigo:

"to find a subject staid and wise Already half turn'd traitor by surprise" — 1735, Alexander Pope, “The Second Satire of Dr. John Donne”, in The Works of Mr. Alexander Pope, volume II, London: […] J. Wright, for Lawton Gilliver […], →OCLC:

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