Word of the Day, September 30: ‘Treason’

Word of the Day: TREASON

Pronunciation: UK /ˈtriːzən/
US /ˈtriːzən/

Meaning

Treason means betraying the loyalty or allegiance owed to one's country or sovereign. In legal use, it refers to a serious offence against the state, such as helping an enemy or attempting to overthrow the government. 

The word can also be used more broadly to describe a serious betrayal of trust or loyalty.

Examples for daily usage

• He was accused of treason for helping the country's enemies.
• The novel tells the story of a prince suspected of treason.
• Betraying a friend's confidence may be described as treason in a figurative sense.

Origin and history

Treason entered English around 1200 as ‘treisoun’ or ‘treson’, from Anglo-French ‘treson’ and Old French ‘traison’, meaning betrayal or treachery. Its deeper origin is the Latin ‘traditio’, meaning “a handing over” or “surrender”, from tradere, meaning “to deliver” or “hand over”.

The connection is interesting because the original idea was not limited to betraying a country. The word could refer more generally to breaking faith or betraying a trust. Over time, its legal meaning became increasingly associated with disloyalty towards a ruler or state.

Also Read: Word of the Day, September 28: ‘Rubric’ 

Cultural significance and modern usage

Treason has historically been treated as an especially serious crime because it involves a person's relationship with the state itself. Ancient Roman law had offences concerning attacks on the security of the state, while medieval and early modern European legal systems developed their own definitions of treason.

The word has also appeared frequently in literature and political writing because questions of loyalty, betrayal and allegiance are common themes in stories about rulers, wars and revolutions.

In everyday speech, treason is sometimes used dramatically or figuratively for a particularly serious betrayal. That informal use is different from the precise legal meaning of the term.

Interesting facts

The person who commits treason is called a traitor.

Treasonous and treasonable are adjectives derived from the noun.

Examples from literature

• “To speak, treason.” — Ben Jonson, Sejanus: His Fall
• “He is charged, as I said, with high treason.” — L. Frank Baum, Mary Louise

Synonyms

• Betrayal
• Treachery
• Disloyalty
• Perfidy
• Faithlessness

Antonyms

• Loyalty
• Allegiance
• Faithfulness
• Devotion
• Fidelity

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