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defection

 - 3 dictionary results

de·fec·tion

   [dih-fek-shuhn]
–noun
1.
desertion from allegiance, loyalty, duty, or the like; apostasy: His defection to East Germany was regarded as treasonable.
2.
failure; lack; loss: He was overcome by a sudden defection of courage.
Use defection in a Sentence
Origin:
1535–45; < Latin dēfectiōn- (stem of dēfectiō), equivalent to dēfect(us) (see defect) + -iōn- -ion

—Related forms
non·de·fec·tion, noun
re·de·fec·tion, noun

—Antonyms
1. loyalty.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2011.
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World English Dictionary
defection (dɪˈfɛkʃən) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  the act or an instance of defecting
2.  abandonment of duty, allegiance, principles, etc; backsliding
3.  defect another word for defect

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin & History

defection
1540s, "action of failing;" 1550s, "action of deserting a party, leader, etc." from L. defectionem "desertion, revolt, failure," noun of action from deficere (see deficient). Originally of faith.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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