defector

D2E1F4E1C3T1O1R1
UK/dɪˈfɛktə(ɹ)/

noun

One who defects.

Similar
apostateturncoatbalimbingbutterflychangelingrunagatetraitortransfuge
OriginLatin dēfector ← Proto-Italic *fakjō ← Proto-Indo-European *dʰh₁kyéti →
UncommonScrabble 14
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Meanings

noundefector (plural defectors)

plural defectors

  1. One who defects.

    Synonyms: apostate, turncoat, apostate, balimbing, butterfly, changeling, runagate, traitor

Synonyms & antonyms

nounOne who defects.

Similar
apostateturncoatapostatebalimbingbutterflychangelingrunagatetraitortransfugeturncloakturncoatturntippetwithersake

More synonyms by meaning

nouna person who abandons their duty (as on a military post)

Similar
deserter
Broader
wrongdoeroffender
Also see
apostatebalimbingbutterflychangelingdeserterrenegaderunagatetraitortransfugeturncloakturncoat

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*de
  2. Proto-Indo-European*déh₁
  3. Proto-Italic*dē
  4. Latindē
  5. Latinde-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁k-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*dʰh₁kyéti
  9. Proto-Italic*θakjō
  10. Proto-Italic*fakjō
  11. Latinfacio
  12. Latindēficiō
  13. Latindēfector
  14. Englishdefector

Borrowed from Latin dēfector.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian дезертьо́р
  • дезертьо́р (dezertjór)one who defects
Chinese Mandarin 背叛者, 逃兵
  • 背叛者 (bèipànzhě)one who defects
  • 逃兵 (deserter)one who defects
  • 變節者 /变节者 (biànjiézhě)one who defects
  • 脫北者 /脱北者 (tuōběizhě)one who defects
Czech přeběhlík
  • přeběhlíkone who defects
Danish afhopper
  • afhopperone who defects
Dutch overloper, deserteur
  • overloperone who defects
  • deserteurone who defects
Finnish petturi, loikkari
  • petturione who defects
  • loikkarione who defects
French transfuge
  • transfugeone who defects
German Überläufer, Überläuferin
  • Überläuferone who defects
  • Überläuferinone who defects
Greek αυτόμολος
  • αυτόμολος (aftómolos)one who defects
Hungarian disszidens
  • disszidensone who defects
Indonesian pembelot
  • pembelotone who defects
Japanese 離反者, 脱北者
  • 離反者 (rihansha)one who defects
  • 脱北者 (dappokusha)one who defects
Korean 탈주자, 탈영자
  • 탈주자 (taljuja)one who defects
  • 탈영자 (taryeongja)one who defects
  • 변절자 (byeonjeolja)one who defects
  • 탈북자 (talbukja)one who defects
Latin dēfector, transfuga
  • dēfectorone who defects
  • transfugaone who defects
Norwegian Bokmål avhopper
  • avhopperone who defects
Polish dezerter, dezerterka
  • dezerterone who defects
  • dezerterkaone who defects
Portuguese desertor, trânsfuga
  • desertorone who defects
  • trânsfugaone who defects
Russian перебе́жчик, перебе́жчица
  • перебе́жчик (perebéžčik)one who defects
  • перебе́жчица (perebéžčica)one who defects
  • дезерти́р (dezertír)one who defects
  • отсту́пник (otstúpnik)one who defects
  • отсту́пница (otstúpnica)one who defects
Slovak prebehlík, prebehlíčka
  • prebehlíkone who defects
  • prebehlíčkaone who defects
Spanish tránsfuga, desertor
  • tránsfugaone who defects
  • desertorone who defects
Swedish avhoppare
  • avhoppareone who defects
Turkish sığınmacı
  • sığınmacıone who defects
Ukrainian перебі́жчик, перебі́жчиця
  • перебі́жчик (perebížčyk)one who defects
  • перебі́жчиця (perebížčycja)one who defects
  • дезерти́р (dezertýr)one who defects
Welsh enciliwr
  • enciliwrone who defects
Cite this entry
APA

defector. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defector

MLA

“defector.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defector. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “defector,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defector.

Source: defector on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.