People who abandon their country, organization, or cause and switch loyalty to an opposing one.
From Latin 'defectare,' the frequentative of 'deficere' (to fail, abandon), from 'de-' (away) plus 'facere' (to make/do). The noun 'defector' emerged in English during the Cold War as spies became news.
During the Cold War, defectors became celebrities in their new countries because they carried secrets and could explain the 'other side' directly. The word gained political weight in the 1950s-60s, though the concept of switching sides is ancient.
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