Defection

Definitions: Defection

Defection

Noun

1. Withdrawing support or help despite allegiance or responsibility; "his abandonment of his wife and children left them penniless".

2. The state of having rejected your religious beliefs or your political party or a cause (often in favor of opposing beliefs or causes).

Date "defection" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1780. (references)

Synonyms: Defection

Synonyms: abandonment (n), apostasy (n), desertion (n), renunciation (n). (additional references)

Context	Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus).
Disobedience	Mutinousness; Adjective: mutineering; sedition, treason; high treason, petty treason, misprision of treason; premunire; lese majeste; violation of law; defection, secession.
Relinquishment	Noun: relinquishment, abandonment; desertion, defection, secession, withdrawal; cave of Adullam; nolle prosequi.
Tergiversation	Tergiversation, recantation; palinode, palinody; renunciation; abjuration,abjurement; defection; (relinquishment); going over; Verb: apostasy; retraction, retractation; withdrawal; disavowal; (negation); revocation, revokement; reversal; repentance; -redintegratio amoris.
Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus.

Crosswords: Defection

English words defined with "defection": Defectionist, deviationism. (references)

Etymologies containing "defection": Apostasy. (references)

Domain	Usage
Movie/TV Titles	The Defection of Simas Kudirka (1978)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Domain	Title
Books	Aquarium : the career and defection of a Soviet military spy (reference) The Anatomy of Two Traitors: The Defection of Bernon F. Mitchell and William H. Martin (reference) The Defection of A. J. Lewinter: A Novel of Duplicity (reference) The Defection of A.J. Lewinter: A Novel of Duplicity [UNABRIDGED] (reference) The Defection of Igor Gouzenko, Volume 2 (reference) (more book examples)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Subject	Topic	Quote
Civil Liberties	Korea	According to the Penal Code, defection and attempted defection (including the attempt to gain entry to a foreign embassy for the purpose of seeking political asylum) are capital crimes. (references)
Economic History	El Salvador	The 2002 defection of five reformist legislators, however, left the FMLN with 26 seats. (references)
	El Salvador	The defection of five FMLN dissidents (MR) also stripped the FMLN of its ability to block qualified (two-thirds) majorities required for major legislation, including approval of international loans and confirmation of supreme court justices. (references)
Human Rights	South Africa	Observers in those areas believed that tensions between the ANC and the UDM increased after the mid-year defection of 46 UDM members to the ANC. (references)
Political Economy	Korea	The Penal Code is Draconian, stipulating capital punishment and confiscation of assets for a wide variety of "crimes against the revolution," including defection, attempted defection, slander of the policies of the party or State, listening to foreign broadcasts, writing "reactionary" letters, and possessing reactionary printed matter. (references)
Political Rights	Central African Republic	The opposition parties and the UFAP strongly protested this defection and boycotted the inauguration of the new session of the legislature. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

"Defection" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 100.00% of the time. "Defection" is used about 187 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)

Parts of Speech	Percent	Usage per 100 Million Words	Rank in English
Noun (singular)	100%	187	22,491

Hypenated Usage
	Ending with "defection": anti-defection.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.

Language		Translations for "defection"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Afrikaan		afval (apostasy, apostatize, clippings, cuttings, debris, desert, drop, drop out, fall, fall away, lose, lose flesh, lose in weight, parings, refuse, remainder, rest, rubbish, rubble, secede, waste, windfall). (various references)

Albanian		disfatë (bad luck, baffle, defeat, discomfiture, licking, loss, overturn, reverse, rout), dezertim (desertion), tradhti (betrayal, disloyalty, double cross, falsity, perfidy, recreancy, tergiversation, treachery, treason, untruth), shkelje e detyrës (defalcation, dereliction). (various references)

Arabic		‏تخل (cession, renouncement, renunciation, surrender, waiver), ‏إرتداد (apostasy, bounce, kick, rebound, recall, recantation, recess, recoil, reflection, reflexion, regress, relapse, renunciation, repercussion, retroversion, reverberation, withdrawal). (various references)

Bulgarian		неизпълнение (neglect, negligence), нарушение (aberration, breach, breaker, breaking, contravention, dereliction, disturbance, entrenchment, fault, foul, infraction, infringement, malpractice, offence, offense, perpetration, transgression, violation), изневяра (adultery, falseness, inconstancy, infidelity), дезертиране (scuttle). (various references)

Chinese		背叛 (Betray, Betrayal, Betrayed, Betraying, two-timing). (various references)

Czech		dezerce (desertion), zbìhnutí (desertion), emigrace (emigration). (various references)

Dutch		trouwbreuk (apostasy), ontrouw (apostasy, unfaithful), afval (apostasy, broke, clippings, cuttings, debris, discard, fagot iron, garbage, leavings, metal scrap, offal, offcut, parings, refuse, refuse parts, rejects, remainder, rest, rubbish, rubble, scrap, sixths, steel scrap, trash, waste, windfall). (various references)

Esperanto		malfideliĝo (apostasy). (various references)

Finnish		luopumus (apostasy, desertion). (various references)

French		défection (desertion), braquage (deflection, deflexion), apostasie. (various references)

Frisian		ôffal (apostasy, apostate, clippings, cuttings, parings, refuse, remainder, rest, rubbish, waste, windfall). (various references)

German		versagen (be a failure, breach of security, break down, breakdown, deny, fail, failing, failure, flop, give out, go, hard error, hardware error, malfunction, refuse, reject, to break down, to flop, withhold), treubruch (betrayal, breach of faith, perfidiousness, perfidy, treachery, treason), abtrünnigkeit (aposta, apostasy, disloyally, disloyalty), abfall (apostasy, breakaway, breaking away, cull, declension, drop, fall, garbage, litter, offal, offall, refuse, reject, rubbish, scrap, slide, trash, wastage, waste), übertritt (conversion, crossing, passes over, stile, transgresses, trespasses, violates), überlaufen (boil over, desert, flooding, overcrowded, overflow, overrun, seize, spill over, to overflow). (various references)

Greek		αποσκίρτηση (defector, secession), αποστασία (apostacy, apostasy, revolt, secessionism). (various references)

Hebrew		� שיר�" (dropping, fall, fall out, falling, shedding). (various references)

Hungarian		elpártolás, disszidálás, elszakadás (disengagement, secession, split, tear). (various references)

Indonesian		kegagalan tugas (delinquency). (various references)

Italian		diserzione (desertion), defezione (desertion), rivolta (fracas, mutiny, rebellion, revolt, riot, rising, uprising). (various references)

Japanese Kanji		亡命 (emigration, exile, flight from one's country). (various references)

Japanese Katakana		ぼうめい (emigration, exile, flight from one's country). (various references)

Korean		귀순. (various references)

Manx		treigeilys (abandonment, betrayal, dereliction, desertion, fall off, tergiveration). (various references)

Norwegian		avhopp. (various references)

Pig Latin		efectionday

Portuguese		deserção (abandonment, dereliction, desertion), defecção. (various references)

Romanian		dezertare (desertion), defecţiune (failure). (various references)

Russian		ренегатство (apostasy), отступничество (apostasy, recreancy, tergiversation), нарушение долга (dereliction), нарушение (contravention, dereliction, dislocation, disruption, disturbance, entrenchment, infraction, infringement, lesion, offence, offense, subversion, transgression, violation), дезертирство (desertion, duck out). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian		dezerterstvo (desertion). (various references)

Spanish		deserción (abandonment, apostasy, desertion, drop out), defección. (various references)

Swedish		avhopp, avfall (apostasy, backsliding, chips, cutting, cuttings, dross, falling away, garbage, leavings, litter, odd-come-short, offal, recrement, refuse, rejectamenta, waste). (various references)

Turkish		sığınma (asylum, sanctuary, taking refuge, taking shelter), iltica (asylum, refuge), ihanet (betrayal, infidelity, judas kiss, sellout, treachery), ayrılma (breakaway, breakup, check out, cleavage, decampment, departure, deviation, disconnection, disconnexion, disjunction, dissociation, disunion, divergence, divergency, divorce, excursion, leave taking, leaving, parting, scission, secession, secessional, segregation, separation, sequestration, severance, split, split up, sunder, sunderance, turn off), çekilme (abdication, breakaway, cession, contraction, low water, pull off, pull out, reflux, resignation, retirement, walkout, withdrawal). (various references)

Ukranian		ренегатство (apostasy, backsliding), невдача (abortion, bad, baffle, down, fail, failing, flop, ill luck, infelicity, miscarriage, mischance, mishap, no go, setback), провал (fail, failure, fiasco, frost, washout), порушення (breach, contravention, deviation, dislocation, infraction, infringement, interruption), дезертирство (desertion, duck out, walk out). (various references)

Vietnamese		sự bội giáo, sự bỏ đi theo địch, sự bỏ đảng, sự đ� o ngũ. (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

Language	Period	Translations
Greek	700 BCE-300 CE	apostasia. (various references)
Latin	500 BCE-Modern	defectio, defectione, defectionem. (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Derivations
	Words beginning with "defection": defections. (additional references)
Misspellings
	"Defection" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: daffection, Defectuum, defelction, defunction, D'election, d'execution, effictio. (additional references)
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

# of Phoneme Matches	Pronunciation	Word(s) rhyming with "defection" (pronounced dufe"kshun)
7	-u f e" k sh u n	affection, disaffection.
6	-f e" k sh u n	confection, disinfection, imperfection, infection, perfection.
5	-e" k sh u n	advection, circumspection, collection, complexion, connection, convection, correction, detection, direction, disconnection, dissection, ejection, election, erection, flexion, inflection, injection, inspection, insurrection, interconnection, interjection, intersection, introspection, objection, overprotection, predilection, preelection, projection, protection, recollection, redirection, reelection, reflection, reinspection, rejection, resurrection, section, selection.
4	-k sh u n	abduction, abstraction, action, addiction, affliction, attraction, auction, benediction, compunction, concoction, conduction, conjunction, constriction, construction, contraction, contradiction, conviction, crucifixion, deconstruction, deduction, depiction, dereliction, destruction, diction, diffraction, dissatisfaction, distinction, distraction, dysfunction, eviction, exaction, extinction, extraction, faction, fiction, fraction, friction, function, inaction, induction, infarction, infliction, infraction, injunction, instruction, interaction, interdiction, introduction, junction, jurisdiction, liposuction, liquefaction, malfunction, midsection, nonfiction, obstruction, overproduction, overreaction, prediction, production, reaction, reconstruction, reduction, reintroduction, reproduction, restriction, retraction, sanction, satisfaction, seduction, subsection, subtraction, suction, traction, transaction, transection.
3	-sh u n	abbreviation, abdication, aberration, abolition, abomination, abortion, abrogation, absolution, absorption, academician, acceleration, accession, acclimation, accommodation, accreditation, accretion, accumulation, accusation, acidification, acquisition, activation, adaptation, addition, adjudication, administration, admiration, admission, admonition, adoption, adoration, adulation, advocation, affectation, affiliation, affirmation, agglomeration, aggravation, aggression, agitation, alienation, allegation, alleviation, alliteration, allocation, alphabetization, alteration, altercation, alternation, amalgamation, ambition, amelioration, ammunition, amortization, amplification, amputation, animation, annexation, annihilation, annotation, antiabortion, anticipation, anticorruption, antidiscrimination, apparition, appellation, application, apportion, appreciation, apprehension, approbation, appropriation, approximation, arbitration, argumentation, articulation, ascension, ashen, aspiration, assassination, assertion, assimilation, association, assumption, attention, attribution, attrition, audition, augmentation, authentication, authorization, automation, aviation, avocation, balkanization, beautician, bifurcation, brutalization, calculation, calibration, cancellation, cannibalization, capitalization, capitulation, caption, carburetion, carnation, castration, categorization, causation, caution, celebration, centralization, certification, cessation, cetacean, characterization, circulation, citation, civilization, clarification, classification, clinician, coagulation, coalition, codification, coercion, cogeneration, cogitation, cognition, cohabitation, collaboration, collectivization, colonization, coloration, colorization, combination, commemoration, commendation, commercialization, commission, commotion, communication, communization, compassion, compensation, competition, compilation, completion, complication, composition, comprehension, compression, compulsion, computation, computerization, concatenation, concentration, conception, conceptualization, concession, conciliation, concussion, condemnation, condensation, condescension, condition, confabulation, confederation, confession, configuration, confirmation, confiscation, conflagration, confrontation, conglomeration, congratulation, congregation, conjugation, conniption, connotation, conscription, consecration, conservation, consideration, consolation, consolidation, constellation, consternation, constipation, constitution, consultation, consummation, consumption, contamination, contemplation, contention, continuation, contortion, contraception, contraption, contribution, contrition, convention, conversation, convocation, convolution, convulsion, cooperation, coordination, coronation, corporation, correlation, corroboration, corruption, counterrevolution, creation, cremation, criminalization, crustacean, culmination, cultivation, cushion, dalmatian, damnation, decaffeination, decapitation, deceleration, decentralization, deception, decertification, decimation, declaration, decommission, decomposition, decompression, decontamination, decoration, decriminalization, dedication, defamation, definition, deflation, deforestation, deformation, degeneration, degradation, dehumanization, dehydration, deification, deinstitutionalization, delegation, deletion, deliberation, delineation, demarcation, demilitarization, demobilization, democratization, demodulation, demolition, demonization, demonstration, demoralization, demotion, denationalization, denomination, dentition, denuclearization, denunciation, depletion, depopulation, deportation, deposition, depravation, depreciation, depredation, depression, deprivation, deregulation, derivation, desalination, desalinization, description, desecration, desegregation, desertion, desiccation, designation, desolation, desperation, destabilization, destination, destitution, detention, deterioration, determination, detonation, detoxication, detoxification, devaluation, devastation, deviation, devolution, devotion, dictation, dietitian, differentiation, digression, dilatation, dilation, dilution, dimension, diminution, discoloration, discontinuation, discretion, discrimination, discussion, disembarkation, disinclination, disinflation, disinformation, disintegration, dislocation, disorganization, disorientation, dispensation, disposition, disputation, disqualification, disruption, dissemination, dissension, dissertation, dissipation, dissociation, dissolution, distillation, distortion, distribution, diversification, divination, documentation, domestication, domination, donation, dramatization, duplication, duration, echolocation, edification, edition, education, egyptian, ejaculation, elaboration, elation, electrician, electrification, electrocution, elevation, elimination, elocution, elongation, emanation, emancipation, embarkation, emigration, emission, emotion, emulation, emulsion, encryption, enumeration, equalization, equitation, equivocation, eradication, erudition, eruption, escalation, estimation, evacuation, evaluation, evaporation, evocation, evolution, exacerbation, exaggeration, examination, exasperation, excavation, exception, excitation, exclamation, excommunication, excoriation, excretion, execution, exemption, exertion, exfoliation, exhalation, exhibition, exhilaration, exhortation, exhumation, exoneration, expansion, expatriation, expectation, expedition, experimentation, expiration, explanation, explication, exploitation, exploration, exposition, expression, expropriation, expulsion, extension, extermination, extortion, extradition, extrapolation, fabrication, facilitation, falsification, fascination, fashion, federation, fermentation, fertilization, fibrillation, figuration, filtration, fission, fixation, flirtation, flotation, fluctuation, fluoridation, foliation, formalization, formation, formulation, fortification, foundation, fragmentation, freshen, fruition, frustration, fumigation, gasification, gastrulation, generalization, generation, gentian, gentrification, geriatrician, germination, gestation, glaciation, globalization, glorification, gradation, graduation, granulation, gratification, gravitation, gumption, gyration, habitation, hallucination, harmonization, hesitation, hessian, hibernation, homogenization, hospitalization, humiliation, hybridization, hydration, hydrogenation, hyperinflation, hypertension, hypotension, identification, ignition, illumination, illustration, imagination, imitation, immigration, immunization, impassion, impersonation, implantation, implementation, implication, importation, imposition, impregnation, impression, improvisation, imputation, inactivation, inauguration, incantation, incapacitation, incarceration, incarnation, inception, incineration, inclination, incoordination, incorporation, incrimination, incrustation, incubation, indemnification, indentation, indexation, indication, indignation, indiscretion, indoctrination, industrialization, infatuation, infestation, infiltration, inflammation, inflation, information, inhabitation, inhalation, inhibition, initiation, innovation, inoculation, inquisition, inscription, insemination, insertion, insinuation, inspiration, installation, instigation, institution, institutionalization, instrumentation, insubordination, insulation, integration, intensification, interception, intercession, intermission, internationalization, interpretation, interrogation, interruption, intimation, intimidation, intonation, intoxication, intuition, inundation, invalidation, invention, investigation, invitation, invocation, ionization, irradiation, irrigation, irritation, isolation, jubilation, justification, juxtaposition, laceration, lactation, legalization, legislation, levitation, liberalization, liberation, libration, ligation, lilliputian, limitation, liquidation, litigation, localization, location, locomotion, logician, lotion, lubrication, machination, magician, magnetization, magnification, malformation, malnutrition, manifestation, manipulation, mansion, marginalization, martian, masturbation, mathematician, maturation, maximization, mechanization, mediation, medication, meditation, menstruation, mention, migration, mineralization, miniaturization, ministration, misallocation, misapplication, misapprehension, misappropriation, miscalculation, mischaracterization, miscommunication, misconception, miscreation, misidentification, misimpression, misinformation, misinterpretation, misperception, misrepresentation, mission, mitigation, mobilization, moderation, modernization, modification, modulation, molestation, monopolization, mortician, motion, motivation, multiplication, mummification, munition, musician, mutation, mutilation, narration, nation, nationalization, naturalization, navigation, negation, negotiation, neutralization, nitration, nomination, nonaggression, nondiscrimination, nonprescription, nonproliferation, normalization, notation, notification, notion, nucleation, nullification, nutrition, obfuscation, obligation, observation, obsession, obstetrician, occupation, ocean, omission, operation, opposition, oppression, optician, optimization, option, oration, orchestration, ordination, organisation, organization, orientation, origination, ornamentation, oscillation, ossification, ostentation, ovation, overconsumption, overexpansion, overpopulation, overregulation, oversimplification, overvaluation, ovulation, oxidation, pacification, pagination, palpitation, participation, partition, passion, pasteurization, patrician, pediatrician, penetration, pension, perception, percussion, perforation, permission, permutation, perpetuation, persecution, personalization, personification, perspiration, perturbation, petition, physician, pigmentation, plantation, polarization, politician, politicization, pollination, pollution, pontification, popularization, population, portion, position, possession, potion, precaution, precession, precipitation, preconception, precondition, predestination, predisposition, preemption, prefabrication, preignition, premeditation, premonition, preoccupation, preparation, prescription, presentation, preservation, pressurization, presumption, presupposition, pretension, prevention, privation, privatization, probation, procession, proclamation, procrastination, procreation, profanation, profession, prognostication, progression, prohibition, proliferation, promotion, pronunciation, propagation, proportion, proposition, propulsion, proration, proscription, prosecution, prostitution, prostration, protestation, provocation, publication, punctuation, purification, qualification, quantification, quotation, radiation, radicalization, ramification, ratification, ration, rationalization, reaffirmation, realization, reallocation, reassertion, reauthorization, recalculation, recantation, recapitalization, reception, recertification, recession, recitation, reclamation, reclassification, recognition, recommendation, reconciliation, recondition, reconfiguration, reconfirmation, reconsideration, recreation, recrimination, rectification, recuperation, redecoration, rededication, redefinition, redemption, redistribution, reeducation, reevaluation, reexamination, reflation, reforestation, reformation, refrigeration, refutation, regeneration, regimentation, registration, regression, regulation, rehabilitation, rehydration, reimposition, reincarnation, reincorporation, reintegration, reinterpretation, reinvention, reinvigoration, reiteration, rejuvenation, relation, relaxation, relocation, remediation, remission, remuneration, renationalization, rendition, renegotiation, renomination, renovation, renunciation, reorganization, reparation, repatriation, repercussion, repetition, replication, reposition, repossession, representation, repression, repudiation, reputation, requisition, reregulation, reservation, resignation, resolution, respiration, restitution, restoration, resumption, resuscitation, retaliation, retardation, retention, retransmission, retribution, reunification, revaluation, revelation, reverberation, revitalization, revocation, revolution, revulsion, rhetorician, rotation, rumination, salvation, sanctification, sanitation, saponification, saturation, secession, secretion, securitization, sedation, sedimentation, sedition, segmentation, segregation, sensation, separation, sequestration, session, simplification, simulation, situation, socialization, solicitation, solution, sophistication, specialization, specification, speculation, stabilization, stagflation, stagnation, standardization, starvation, station, statistician, sterilization, stimulation, stipulation, strangulation, subluxation, submission, subordination, subscription, subsidization, substantiation, substation, substitution, suburbanization, succession, suffocation, summation, superstation, superstition, supposition, suppression, suspension, suspicion, syncopation, syndication, tabulation, tactician, taxation, technician, telecommunication, temptation, tension, termination, theoretician, titian, titillation, toleration, tradition, transcription, transformation, transgression, transillumination, transition, translation, transmission, transplantation, transportation, trepidation, triangulation, tribulation, tuition, undervaluation, unification, unionization, urbanization, usurpation, utilization, vacation, vaccination, vacillation, validation, valuation, vaporization, variation, vegetation, venetian, ventilation, verification, vibration, victimization, vilification, vindication, violation, visitation, visualization, vocation, volition, vulgarization, westernization, workstation.
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Words within the letters "c-d-e-e-f-i-n-o-t"
	-1 letter: infected.
	-2 letters: codeine, confide, ctenoid, deontic, enticed, feinted, noticed.
	-3 letters: cenote, codein, coedit, coifed, coined, confit, deceit, decent, defect, define, denote, docent, edenic, encode, endite, entice, fenced, foetid, foined, infect, noetic, notice.
	-4 letters: cento, cited, coden, coned, conte, coted, deice, dicot, diene, donee, edict, feint, fence, feted, fetid, fiend, fined, niece, noted, often, ontic, teind, tined, tondi, toned, tonic.
	-5 letters: cede, cedi, cent, cete, cine, cion, cite, code, coed, coft, coif, coin, cone, coni, cote, deco, deet, defi, deft, dene, deni, dent, dice, diet, dine, dint, dite, doit, done, dote, edit, eide, etic, feed, feet, fend, feod, fete, fice, fico, fido, find, fine, fino, foci, foin, fond, font, iced, icon, info, into, need, neif, nice, nide, nite, node, nodi, note, odic, once, otic, teed, teen, tend, tide, tied, tine, toed, tone.
	Words containing the letters "c-d-e-e-f-i-n-o-t"
	+1 letter: defecation, defections, deflection.
	+2 letters: affectioned, defecations, deflections, noninfected.
	+3 letters: counterfired, fianchettoed, noncertified.
	+4 letters: confederating, confederation, confederative, counterfeited, overconfident.
	+5 letters: confederations, decaffeination, superconfident.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.