noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/dɪˈfɛkʃən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:D IH0 F EH1 K SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An act or incidence of defecting.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
military defection
political defection
mass defection
The general’s sudden defection shocked the government.
The party suffered another defection to the opposition.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
withdrawing support or help despite allegiance or responsibility
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
his abandonment of his wife and children left them penniless
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: desertion, abandonment
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: withdrawal
Narrower terms: abscondment, decampment, absence without leave, unauthorized absence, deviationism
3
noun
Meaning 3
the state of having rejected your religious beliefs or your political party or a cause (often in favor of opposing beliefs or causes)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: apostasy, renunciation
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: rejection
History
Etymology
From Latin dēfectiō (stem dēfectiōn-).
Across languages
Translations
34 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
отстъпничество
(otstǎpničestvo)
— act or incidence of defecting
Catalan:
defecció
— act or incidence of defecting
Chinese Mandarin:
叛逃
(pàntáo)
— act or incidence of defecting
Chinese Mandarin:
變節 /变节
(biànjié)
— act or incidence of defecting
Chinese Mandarin:
叛變 /叛变
(pànbiàn)
— act or incidence of defecting
Dutch:
overlopen
— act or incidence of defecting
Dutch:
desertie
— act or incidence of defecting
French:
défection
— act or incidence of defecting
Georgian:
განდგომა
(gandgoma)
— act or incidence of defecting
Georgian:
განდგომილება
(gandgomileba)
— act or incidence of defecting
German:
Abtrünnigkeit
— act or incidence of defecting
German:
Treuebruch
— act or incidence of defecting
German:
Überlaufen
— act or incidence of defecting
Ancient Greek:
ἀποστασία
(apostasía)
— act or incidence of defecting
Indonesian:
pembelotan
— act or incidence of defecting
Irish:
tréigean
— act or incidence of defecting
Italian:
defezione
— act or incidence of defecting
Italian:
diserzione
— act or incidence of defecting
Japanese:
変節
(hensetsu)
— act or incidence of defecting
Korean:
변절
(byeonjeol)
— act or incidence of defecting
Latin:
transfugium
— act or incidence of defecting
Latin:
dēfectiō
— act or incidence of defecting
Portuguese:
deserção
— act or incidence of defecting
Portuguese:
defeção
— act or incidence of defecting
Romanian:
defectare
— act or incidence of defecting
Russian:
наруше́ние
(narušénije)
— act or incidence of defecting
Russian:
дезерти́рство
(dezertírstvo)
— act or incidence of defecting
Russian:
изме́на
(izména)
— act or incidence of defecting
Russian:
отсту́пничество
(otstúpničestvo)
— act or incidence of defecting
Turkish:
ayrılma
— act or incidence of defecting
Turkish:
firar
— act or incidence of defecting
Turkish:
ihanet
— act or incidence of defecting
Welsh:
enciliad
— act or incidence of defecting
Welsh:
gwrthgiliad
— act or incidence of defecting
