betrayal

[ bih-trey-uhl ]

noun

1. the act of exposing or delivering someone to an enemy through treachery or disloyalty:

   This security leak was an inexcusable betrayal of an ally whose very existence is now threatened.

2. the act of disappointing a person’s trust, hopes, or expectations:

   Imagine what a betrayal it is each time a rape victim finds out that her fellow citizens, and our legal system, are just not there for her.

3. the act of revealing information in violation of confidence:

   The library, which carried books criticizing the regime, was kept in private homes and frequently had to be moved to avoid betrayal of its secret to the local authorities.

4. failure to keep or honor a promise, principle, cherished memory, etc.:

   Many of his constituents are unhappy with his promotion of new mining and logging initiatives, seeing it as a betrayal of his green ideals.

5. an act or instance of unconsciously revealing or displaying some quality or characteristic, typically one preferably concealed:

   A slight tremor in her hand was the only betrayal of her fear.

Other Words From

• pre·be·tray·al noun
• self-be·tray·al noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of betrayal¹

betray ( def ) + -al ²( def )

Example Sentences

In his typically whiny book "The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free," Hegseth writes, "Our ‘elites’ are like the feckless drug-addled businessmen at Nakatomi Plaza, looking down on Bruce Willis’s John McClane in ‘Die Hard,’" adding, "But there will come a day when they realize they need John McClane."

From Salon

“The so-called elites directing the military today… believe power is bad, merit is unfair, ideology is more important that industriousness, white people are yesterday, and safety! is better than risk-taking,” Hegseth writes in his book “The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free.”

From Los Angeles Times

In his statement announcing Hegseth as his Defense secretary pick, the president-elect said the book “reveals the leftwing betrayal of our Warriors, and how we must return out Military to meritocracy, lethality, accountability, and excellence.”

From Los Angeles Times

He said the book The War on Warrior "reveals the leftwing betrayal of our warriors, and how we must return our military to meritocracy, lethality, accountability, and excellence".

From BBC

His message to the GOP seemed unmistakable: Birthright citizenship sits at the heart of the Constitution, and any attempt to revoke it would be an ill-fated betrayal of the 14th Amendment.

From Slate

Related Words

• deception
• dishonesty
• sellout
• treachery
• treason