defection

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /dɪˈfɛkʃən/ UK /dɪˈfɛkʃən/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
the act of abandoning a cause, party, or country

His defection to the rival firm shocked his colleagues.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the act of abandoning a... desertionapostasybetrayal abandonment disloyalty rebellion

Opposites

loyalty allegiance fidelity faithfulness

Word family

Related forms defect defector defective deficient

Etymology

From Latin defectio ('a failing, desertion'), from deficere ('to fail, desert'), from de- ('down, away') + facere ('to do, make').

defectio Latin deficere Latin facere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# defection

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈfɛkʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪˈfɛkʃən/

## Meanings
1. the act of abandoning a cause, party, or country

## Examples
- His defection to the rival firm shocked his colleagues.

## Synonyms
- desertion
- apostasy
- betrayal
- abandonment
- disloyalty
- rebellion

## Antonyms
- loyalty
- allegiance
- fidelity
- faithfulness

## Related Forms
- defect
- defector
- defective
- deficient

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: defectio
- Root: deficere
- Root: facere

## Etymology
From Latin defectio ('a failing, desertion'), from deficere ('to fail, desert'), from de- ('down, away') + facere ('to do, make').

## AI Etymology
Defection is from Latin defectio ('a failing, desertion'), from deficere ('to fail, desert'), from de- ('down, away') + facere ('to do, make'). Important recorded forms include defectio (Latin), deficere (Latin), and facere (Latin). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers the act of abandoning a cause, party, or country. The wider family includes related words such as defect, defector, defective, and deficient.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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