Betrayal of trust; the act of being disloyal or unfaithful to someone or something.
From Old French 'trecherie,' derived from 'trechier,' meaning to betray, from Vulgar Latin 'triccare.' Possibly related to 'trick,' both suggesting deception through cunning.
Treachery has always been one of the worst crimes humans could imagine—medieval literature devoted whole stories to it, and Dante put traitors in the deepest circle of hell. We're fascinated by betrayal because it shatters the trust that holds societies together.
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