Traitor and trader are two words that are pronounced very similarly and are often confused. We will examine the difference between the definitions of traitor and trader, where these words came from and some examples of their use in sentences.
A traitor is someone who betrays his country, his friends, a cause or his principles. A traitor breaches trust in some way or commits treason against his country. Perhaps the most famous traitor of ancient times was Brutus, who betrayed Caesar. The word traitor is derived from the Old French words traitor or traitre, which mean villain, traitor, deceiver. The plural form is traitors.
A trader is a merchant who buys and sells goods, or a stock broker who buys and sells stocks, currency and bonds. The word trader comes from the Middle Low German word trade, meaning path or track, most probably originally referring to a ship used in trading, along with the suffix -er which means the man who has to do with. The plural form is traders.
Examples
Never in modern times has an accused enemy of the U.S. state had so much access to the public, or so divided people about where he lands on the spectrum from “traitor” to “hero.” (The Miami Herald)
Barcelona superstar Neymar has been accused, along with his family, of being “traitors” by the founding partner of a Brazilian investment group who insisted the forward cannot be a role model for children because of what he’s done. (The Independent)
In the early spring of 2014, not long after the publication of “The Death of Money,” one of the most seasoned government securities traders at one of the biggest Wall Street banks got in touch with me. (The Business Insider)
The US Federal Reserve has quietly shelved its threat of legal action against Bruno Iksil, the former JP Morgan trader at the centre of the 2012 “London Whale” saga. (Financial News)