quisling

American  

[kwiz-ling] / ˈkwɪz lɪŋ /

noun

1. a person who betrays their own country by aiding an invading enemy, often serving later in a puppet government; fifth columnist.

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quisling British  

/ ˈkwɪzlɪŋ /

noun

1. a traitor who aids an occupying enemy force; collaborator

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Etymology

Origin of quisling

1940; after Vidkun Quisling (1887–1945), pro-Nazi Norwegian leader

Explanation

A quisling is a traitor, especially one who collaborates with an enemy occupying force for personal gain. The term arose because in World War II, Vidkun Quisling, a Norwegian politician, volunteered to help the occupying Nazis rule Norway for Germany. Quisling was tried for treason and executed at the end of the war, and his name became synonymous with traitor and collaborator. The word quisling is not commonly used in the United States, however, probably because the American term for a traitor is "Benedict Arnold," the name of a Revolutionary War turncoat.

Example Sentences

An occupying Japanese army swept into Northeastern China and, under the quisling emperor Pu Yi, established the puppet state of Manchukuo.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026

His name gave us the English word "quisling": it means a lackey, a traitor, a bootlicker.

From BBC • Aug. 14, 2021

“They’ve called me a quisling, a turncoat, a sellout, a coward, a wimp and a traitor,” he wrote on Facebook at the time.

From The Guardian • Dec. 17, 2017

We quickly see that Travis is a quisling, the guy the officers send out to calm down those less comfortable with occupation and imprisonment.

From New York Times • Sep. 20, 2015

I am guilty about having so few of these: I know I am unorthodox, hopelessly heterosexual, a mother, quisling and secret wimp.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood