quisling
noun·/ˈkwɪz.lɪŋ/
A traitor who collaborates with an enemy occupying power, someone who betrays their own side for advantage or ideology. Quisling carries the chill of civic treason, betrayal under pressure, when loyalty is most costly.
In the small town’s memory, his name became a quisling’s—spoken softly, as if betrayal could still be contagious.
Etymology
From the surname of Vidkun Quisling, the Norwegian politician whose collaboration during World War II made his name a byword. A life reduced to a caution.
Related Words
collaboratorneutral in some contexts; darkened in wartime
turncoatone who changes sides; broader and older
traitorthe direct term
revanchistpolitical grievance-driven posture; not betrayal, but a nearby political heat