Meanings
- uncountableCriminal disloyalty to one's country or a sovereign.
1 more example
1952, James Avery Joyce: Justice At Work: (this edition Pan 1957) Page 105. Formerly, the punishment for high treason was of a most barbarous character…. Women were burnt. A male traitor was dragged or drawn to the place of execution and hanged; but while still alive, he was cut down and disembowelled. His head was then severed from his body which was quartered. The head and quarters, which were at the Kings disposal, were usually exposed in some conspicuous place—the Temple Bar being a favourite spot—after being boiled in salt to prevent putrification and in cumin seed to prevent birds feasting on them.
- uncountablelawIn some jurisdictions, a criminal offence of treason including features regarded as more severe than ordinary treason.
- excessiveuncountableA betrayal portrayed as especially shocking.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna crime that undermines the offender's government
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Arabic خِيَانَة عُظْمَى
- خِيَانَة عُظْمَى (ḵiyāna ʕuẓmā)Criminal disloyalty to one's country
Catalan alta traïció
- alta traïcióCriminal disloyalty to one's country
Chinese Mandarin 叛國罪 /叛国罪
- 叛國罪 /叛国罪 (pànguózuì)Criminal disloyalty to one's country
Czech velezrada, vlastizrada
- velezradaCriminal disloyalty to one's country
- vlastizradaCriminal disloyalty to one's country
Danish højforræderi
- højforræderiCriminal disloyalty to one's country
Dutch hoogverraad
- hoogverraadCriminal disloyalty to one's country
Esperanto altperfido, ŝtatperfido
- altperfidoCriminal disloyalty to one's country
- ŝtatperfidoCriminal disloyalty to one's country
Finnish maanpetos
- maanpetosCriminal disloyalty to one's country
French haute trahison
- haute trahisonCriminal disloyalty to one's country
German Hochverrat
- HochverratCriminal disloyalty to one's country
Greek εσχάτη προδοσία
- εσχάτη προδοσία (escháti prodosía)Criminal disloyalty to one's country
Hungarian felségárulás, hazaárulás
- felségárulásCriminal disloyalty to one's country
- hazaárulásCriminal disloyalty to one's country
Icelandic landráð
- landráðCriminal disloyalty to one's country
Irish ardtréas
- ardtréasCriminal disloyalty to one's country
Italian alto tradimento
- alto tradimentoCriminal disloyalty to one's country
Japanese 大逆罪
- 大逆罪 (taigyakuzai)Criminal disloyalty to one's country
Latin perduellio
- perduellioCriminal disloyalty to one's country
Norwegian Bokmål høyforræderi
- høyforræderiCriminal disloyalty to one's country
Polish zdrada stanu
- zdrada stanuCriminal disloyalty to one's country
Portuguese alta traição
- alta traiçãoCriminal disloyalty to one's country
Romanian înaltă trădare
- înaltă trădareCriminal disloyalty to one's country
Russian госуда́рственная изме́на, изме́на Ро́дине
- госуда́рственная изме́на (gosudárstvennaja izména)Criminal disloyalty to one's country
- изме́на Ро́дине (izména Ródine)Criminal disloyalty to one's country
- госизме́на (gosizména)Criminal disloyalty to one's country
Spanish alta traición
- alta traiciónCriminal disloyalty to one's country
Swedish högförräderi
- högförräderiCriminal disloyalty to one's country
Turkish devlete ihanet, vatana ihanet
- devlete ihanetCriminal disloyalty to one's country
- vatana ihanetCriminal disloyalty to one's country
Cite this entry
high treason. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/high%20treason
“high treason.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/high%20treason. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “high treason,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/high%20treason.
Source: high treason on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.