treason

Etymology

From Middle English tresoun, treison, from Anglo-Norman treson, from Old French traïson (“treason”), from trair, or from Latin trāditiō (“a giving up, handing over, surrender, delivery, tradition”), from trādō (“give up, hand over, deliver over, betray”, verb), from trāns- (“over, across”) + dō (“give”). Doublet of tradition.

noun

1. The crime of betraying one’s own country.
   Treaſon doth never [pro]ſper: what's the reaſon? / For yf yt [pro]ſper none dare call yt treaſon c. 1605, John Harington, “42: Of Treason”, in Epigrams (British Library Additional MS. 12049), Book III, folio 75, verso; republished at London: British Library Digitised Manuscripts, 17 September 2020
   Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unleſs on the Testimony of two Witneſses to the same overt Act, or on Confeſsion in open Court. 17 September 1787, Alexander Hamilton et al., “Article III, Section 3”, in Constitution of the United States, Philadelphia: Jacob Shallus
   If for every error and every act of incompetence one can substitute an act of treason, many points of fascinating interpretation are open to the paranoid imagination: treason in high places can be found at almost every turning. November 1964, Richard J. Hofstadter, “The Paranoid Style in American Politics”, in Robert Shnayerson, editor, Harper's Magazine, New York City: Minneapolis Star and Tribune Company
2. An act of treachery, betrayal of trust or confidence.