betrayal

English

Etymology

From betray +‎ -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɪˈtɹeɪəl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪəl

Noun

betrayal (countable and uncountable, plural betrayals)

1. The act of betraying.
   • 1995 March 5, Robert Grudin, “Treasonable Matter”, in The New York Times‎:

     But by the same token, an exclusive menu of betrayals is likely to be a starvation diet.

   • 2005, Jesse Helms, Here's Where I Stand: A Memoir‎, New York: Random House, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 106:

     The betrayal of our friends in Taiwan began with President Carter’s decision to terminate the mutual defense treaty with Taiwan that Congress had ratified in 1954.

   • 2017, BioWare, Mass Effect: Andromeda (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: Received message: A Traitor:

     One of our own has joined with the alien. If you see him, do not hesitate to let him know what the Roekaar think of this betrayal.

Synonyms

• perfidiousness
• perfidy
• treacherousness
• treachery
• treason

Derived terms

• counterbetrayal
• nonbetrayal
• rebetrayal
• self-betrayal

Related terms

• betray

Translations

treason — see treason