Synonyms for defection
Most common
apostasy renunciation backsliding abandonment desertion failure
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Apostasy
2. Abandonment
Other
Definitions
- n. 1
An act or incidence of defecting.
The general’s sudden defection shocked the government.
Forms
- Plural
- defections → apostasies, backslidings, renunciations, abandonments…
Example sentences
- apostasy Tom's apostasy will not go unpunished.
- renunciation Jesus predicted Peter's renunciation of him.
- abandonment Why does this fear of abandonment exist in my life?
- desertion Twenty six soldiers were executed for desertion.
- failure Tom attributed his failure in the exam to illness.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| defection | steady | |
| apostasy | rising | |
| renunciation | steady | |
| backsliding | rising | |
| abandonment | falling | |
| desertion | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 7 letters
- failure2
- 8 letters
- apostasy
- 9 letters
- desertion3
- 11 letters
- abandonment4, dereliction4, backsliding3
- 12 letters
- renunciation5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (failure2 = 2 syllables).