renegade means deserting, treacherous, disloyal. It carries an Arena rating of 1782, earned across 7 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, renegade ranks #330 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #511 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #1,039 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words, #2,165 of 42,747 for Qualifying.
renegade is pronounced /ˈɹɛ.nəˌɡeɪd/.
Why “renegade” is a great word
A person who deserts and betrays a cause, allegiance, or set of principles, often to join an opposing side. From Spanish *renegado*, from Medieval Latin *renegātus*, past participle of *renegāre* ("to deny, refuse"), from Latin *re-* ("again, back") + *negāre* ("to deny"). First recorded in English 1575–85. Unlike “apostate,” which renounces a specific faith, or “dissident,” who opposes a system from within, the renegade commits a more intimate treason—the turncoat who swaps banners rather than merely burns them. It is the cold silence where a trusted comrade once stood, the mercenary who wakes in enemy colors, the confidant who trades secrets for a seat at the winner's table: the irrevocable price of choosing a new *we*.
Etymology
From Spanish renegado, from Medieval Latin renegātus, perfect participle of renegō (“to deny”). See also renege.
adj
- Deserting, treacherous, disloyal.
- Unconventional, unorthodox.
noun
- An outlaw or rebel.
- A disloyal person who betrays or deserts a cause, religion, political party, friend, etc.
verb
- To desert one's cause, or change one's loyalties; to commit betrayal.e.g.“The recent arrangement, obtained by Lord Stratford, as to the case of a Christian renegading to Mohammedanism […]” — 1859, Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine, volume 3, page 740:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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