defection
Americannoun
-
desertion from allegiance, loyalty, duty, or the like; apostasy.
His defection to East Germany was regarded as treasonable.
- Antonyms:
- loyalty
-
failure; lack; loss.
He was overcome by a sudden defection of courage.
noun
Other Word Forms
- nondefection noun
- redefection noun
Etymology
Origin of defection
1535–45; < Latin dēfectiōn- (stem of dēfectiō ), equivalent to dēfect ( us ) ( see defect) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Is your team so bad you have begun supporting a rival team? Then you're guilty of defection — the act of shifting your support to a new cause. Most people won't thank you for your defection. No matter how much you might believe in the new sports team, or political party, or whatever, defection is generally used as a critical term. Defection implies a lack of character — as you can tell by looking at its Latin roots, which come from the word defectionum, meaning "desertion, revolt, failure." Clearly, no one likes a defector.
Vocabulary lists containing defection
"Coming of Age in the Dawnland," Vocabulary from the historical excerpt
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My Brother Sam is Dead
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Mockingjay
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That’s what the defection of his largest influencers portends.
From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026
Customer defection is of increasing concern for both airline management and shareholders, according to ASCI.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026
Their sudden defection forced the SDF to withdraw from the Arab-majority provinces of Raqa and Deir Ezzor with little to no fighting and to retreat to Kurdish areas.
From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026
The defection builds upon momentum Carney is building in public-opinion polls, as he steers a new course for the Canadian economy amid elevated uncertainty over U.S. trade policy and recent threats from President Trump.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026
All three had written long, abject articles in the Times, analyzing the reasons for their defection and promising to make amends.
From "1984" by George Orwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
