treachery
Americannoun
plural
treacheries-
violation of faith; betrayal of trust; treason.
- Antonyms:
- loyalty
-
an act of perfidy, faithlessness, or treason.
noun
-
the act or an instance of wilful betrayal
-
the disposition to betray
Related Words
See disloyalty.
Etymology
Origin of treachery
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English trecherie, from Middle French, Old French, from trech(ier) “to deceive” ( trick ) + -erie -ery
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Most of the unhappy denizens of Dante’s imagined hell are being eternally tormented for specific moral crimes in categories covering lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery.
From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026
Lizza, in his own statement, said: “Telling the truth is not harassment and accountability is not an ax, though I understand why Olivia finds it unpleasant to be confronted with her treachery and betrayal.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025
"So many boxers and fighters get caught up in the treachery of the people that are in the industry," he says, describing the sport as "shady".
From BBC • Apr. 25, 2025
“The treachery of your tears is no use to fight injustice,” read one.
From New York Times • Jun. 5, 2024
“I had longed to enter the world of men. Now I see it filled with sorrow, with cruelty and treachery, with those who would destroy all around them.”
From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.