defected

[ dih-fek-tid ]

adjective

1. having deserted a country, cause, etc., especially in order to adopt another:

   In the movie White Nights, a defected Soviet dancer is returned to his motherland when the plane he’s on is forced to land in Russia.

2. defective ( def 1 ).

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of defect.

Word History and Origins

Origin of defected¹

First recorded in 1585–95; defect + -ed ²( def ) for the adjective senses; defect + -ed ¹( def ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

When the LIV tour launched in 2022 and siphoned off several of the top golfers on the PGA Tour, McIlroy accused some who defected from the PGA Tour of greed.

From Los Angeles Times

This is about the Harris Republicans and just as those Reagan Democrats defected 40 years ago because they felt their party had abandoned them, the Harris Republicans are in the same position today.

From Salon

Gezira state turned into a major battleground last week after the RSF suffered a major blow when one of its commanders, Abu Aqla Kayka, defected to the military.

From BBC

A lawyer and former actress, Ahmed-Sheikh has worked with Salmond since 2000 when she defected to the SNP from the Scottish Conservatives.

From BBC

Seidel, who voted for Vice President Kamala Harris and said she has never voted for former president Donald Trump, told Salon that she defected from the Republican Party because she could no longer recognize it.

From Salon

Related Words

• abandon
• abscond
• depart
• desert
• pull out
• quit
• reject
• renounce
• revolt
• withdraw