The betrayal of ones own country by waging war against it or by consciously or purposely acting to aid its enemies. Information and translations of treason in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Once attainder was established, the attainted forfeited his. Wests acclaimed examination of traitors, this gripping profi. In the united states, there are both federal and state laws prohibiting treason. As article iii, section 3 of the constitution specifies, treason against the united states shall consist only in. Sedition is conduct or language inciting rebellion against the authority of the state. Treason definition, the offense of acting to overthrow ones government or to harm or kill its sovereign. What is treason, what does it mean to be a traitor and what. The crime of betraying ones country, especially by attempting to kill or overthrow the sovereign or government. Treason definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Sedition and treason, while used interchangeably, are different both in definition and use. Definition and synonyms of treason from the online english dictionary from macmillan education.
The rules defining it are among the few great rules of law of any society. The defendant was convicted of high treason treason of the worst kind and sentenced to death. The treason clause traces its roots back to an english statute enacted during the reign of edward iii 2777. Outside the field of law, the word traitor can be used to describe a person who betrays a group to which he or she belongs. Punishment of treason the heritage guide to the constitution. Treason was to be what they said and no less than that should ever be allowed to pass for treason in an american court, nor could the definition of treason be changed by statute or case law. Treason, sedition mean disloyalty or treachery to ones country or its government. A person who commits treason is known in law as a traitor. The translation of qesher, in english versions of the bible 1 kings 16. Treason against the king was called high treason and treason against a lesser role was called petty treason.
Treason is any attempt to overthrow the government or impair the wellbeing of a state to which one owes allegiance. Treason may include espionage spying for a foreign power or doing damage to the operation of the government and its agencies, particularly involved in security but is separate and worse than sedition which involves a conspiracy to upset the operation of the government. In united states law, treason is the crime of a citizen of the united states betraying his or her country. Treason is any attempt to overthrow the government or impair the.
For our purposes here, we will define it as any act that helps a foreign country attack, make war, overthrow, or otherwise injure the traitor. In south australia, treason is defined under section 7 of the south australia criminal law consolidation act 1935 and punished under section 10a. Definition of treason noun in oxford advanced learners dictionary. To be sure, theres no law against the colloquial misuse of a. The justice department considered charging john walker lindh with treason in 2001 but decided against it because of the extremely high burden of. They also celebrate having the worlds largest military for which they pay large amounts of tax. In a legal sense, the term refers to the commission of overt acts to overthrow ones own government, or to consciously and intentionally aid an enemy of the nation. Treason is a violation of allegiance towards your country, especially betrayal in war or providing comfort to an enemy. Treason is the crime of betraying your country, for example by helping its enemies or by.
Treason is the crime of betraying your country, for example by helping its enemies or by trying to remove its government using violence. The 4th of july when americans celebrate their ancestors betrayal of their rightful king because they didnt want to pay tax to fund the royal navy. Accusations of treason are a serious matter in the public arena, but history shows few examples of charges followed by convictions in legitimate treason cases. Use treason in a sentence treason sentence examples. Americans have forgotten what treason actually means. It begins with the career of nazi propagandist william joyce, better known as lord haw haw to millions of fellow britons whom he cajoled with the german viewpoint over the radio during the second world war, continuing on to his capture, trial and execution for treason in time of war. Synonyms for treason include disloyalty, perfidy, treachery, betrayal, duplicity, faithlessness, infidelity, lesemajesty, mutiny and sedition. Treason can be defined in a number of different ways. Americans have forgotten what treason actually means and. The meaning of treason paperback september 1, 2000 by rebecca west author visit amazons rebecca west page. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Definition of hightreason noun in oxford advanced learners dictionary. Treasonous acts may be criminal, but criminal acts are almost never treason. Treason definition in the cambridge english dictionary.
In law, treason is criminal disloyalty, typically to the state. Treason is not defined by the gravity of the offense. Treason bedeutung im cambridge englisch worterbuch. It is the most serious offence and was punishable by hanging, drawing and quartering until the 19th. Qesher from qashar, to bind means a conspiracy 2 samuel 15. The meaning of treason, by dame rebecca west, is a very readable, conversational exploration of the recent history of treason and its possible motivations. In a current political debate, opponents of donald trump jr. Treason noun definition and synonyms macmillan dictionary. High treason definition of high treason by the free dictionary. Synonyms for treason at with free online thesaurus, antonyms, and definitions. Change your default dictionary to american english. Constructive treason was a judicial fiction whereby actions carried out without treasonable intent, but found to have the effect of treason, were punished as though they were treason itself. Rebecca west whose return of the soldier i well remember from a level english lit, writes in a somewhat baroque though nevertheless vivid style. The protection against this accounts for the careful wording of the definition of treason in the u.
Most state constitutions include similar definitions of treason, specifically limited to levying war against the state, adhering to the enemies of the state, or aiding the enemies of the state, and requiring two witnesses or a confession. In history, treason included the murder of certain people in charge. This usually includes things such as participating in a war against ones native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state. The criminal act of causing harm to our country for exaple by helping its enemies and by the way treason is a noun. Treason is the act of betraying your country or a betrayal of trust. Treason meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. High treason disloyalty to the crown is still a crime and is usually simply called treason. Fascinating history of treason in the 20th century with a thorough and well researched section on the traitor william joyce. In the wild schemes of shaftesbury after the election of tory sheriffs for london in 1682 he had no share. It begins with the career of nazi propagandist william joyce, better known as lord haw haw to millions of fellow britons whom he cajoled with the german viewpoint over the radio during the second world war, continuing on to his capture. Review of the meaning of treason by rebecca west chicago. Treason definition of treason by the free dictionary. We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website, including to provide targeted advertising and track usage.