quisling
quislings
A quisling is a traitor, especially one who collaborates with an enemy occupying force for personal gain.
The term arose because in World War II, Vidkun Quisling, a Norwegian politician, volunteered to help the occupying Nazis rule Norway for Germany. Quisling was tried for treason and executed at the end of the war, and his name became synonymous with traitor and collaborator. The word quisling is not commonly used in the United States, however, probably because the American term for a traitor is "Benedict Arnold," the name of a Revolutionary War turncoat.
Definitions of quisling
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someone who collaborates with an enemy occupying force
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synonyms:
collaborationist, collaborator
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type of:
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traitor, treasonist
someone who betrays his country by committing treason
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traitor, treasonist
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘quisling'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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Commonly confused words
Was a 1970s Dr. Who Fan a "Quisling"?
Writing about the upcoming BBC "The Day of the Doctor" special being released in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the original "Dr. Who," Jill Lepore, of The New Yorker used quisling in a curious way.
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