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# betrayal

«betrayal» in Mova's school dictionary: **breaking someone's trust, for example by telling their…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a betrayal, betrayals; betrayal, uncountable)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Betrayal is breaking someone's trust, for example by telling their secret, lying to them or helping their enemy. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/betrayal/#m1)

2) A betrayal is one act of this kind. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/betrayal/#m2)

3) Betrayal of a country is helping its enemies (treason). [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/betrayal/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In stories, betrayal is a big turning point: a friend tells a secret or changes sides. In ethics lessons, pupils discuss whether telling an adult about danger is betrayal (it is not; it keeps people safe). In Bible lessons, Judas's betrayal of Jesus is a famous story. Phrases: «a sense of betrayal», «an act of betrayal», «feel betrayed».

### examples

- Telling everyone her secret was a betrayal. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/betrayal/#x1)
- She felt a deep sense of betrayal when her friend laughed at her. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/betrayal/#x2)
- In the Bible, Judas's betrayal of Jesus happened for thirty silver coins. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/betrayal/#x3)
- The spy's betrayal cost many lives. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/betrayal/#x4)
- It wasn't a betrayal to tell the teacher that Sam was being hurt. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/betrayal/#x5)
- The film is about friendship and betrayal. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/betrayal/#x6)

### note

Countable for one act («two betrayals»), uncountable for the idea. Verb: betray (betrayed, betraying); person: traitor. Trap: telling to keep someone safe is not betrayal; spreading gossip to hurt is.

### In the corpora

- [Refusing to join a fight is not betrayal; a true friend does not ask you to get hurt or hurt others.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/383-street-gangs-and-loyalty/19/)
- [Breaking a promise like that is not betrayal; it is help.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/437-when-not-to-keep-a-friends-secret/10/)
- [Telling a grown-up about a friend in danger is help, not betrayal, even if the friend is angry at first.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/437-when-not-to-keep-a-friends-secret/36/)
- [Sometimes a family cannot keep a pet, and finding it a good new home is a kind choice, not a betrayal.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/460-the-pet-that-loves-you-most/32/)
- [Privacy matters even in families; reading someone else's messages without asking is a betrayal.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/508-fighting-ignoring-each-other-and-sharing-a-room/34/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «betrayal» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/betrayal/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.