A renegade is a person who abandons the religious, political, or philosophical beliefs that he or she used to have, and accepts opposing or different beliefs.
Synonyms: deserter, rebel, betrayer, dissident More Synonyms of renegade
2. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Renegade is used to describe a member of a group or profession who behaves in a way that is opposed to the normal behaviour or beliefs of that group or profession.
Three men were shot dead by a renegade policeman.
More Synonyms of renegade
renegade in British English
(ˈrɛnɪˌɡeɪd)
noun
1.
a.
a person who deserts his or her cause or faith for another; apostate; traitor
b.
(as modifier)
a renegade priest
2.
any outlaw or rebel
Word origin
C16: from Spanish renegado, from Medieval Latin renegāre to renounce, from Latin re- + negāre to deny
renegade in American English
(ˈrɛnəˌgeɪd)
noun
1.
a person who abandons one religion for another; apostate
2.
a person who abandons a party, movement, etc. and goes over to the other side; traitor; turncoat
adjective
3.
of or like a renegade; disloyal
Word origin
Sp renegado, pp. of renegar, to deny < ML renegare < L re-, again + negare, to deny (see negation); the word replaces ME renagat < ML renegatus, pp. of renegare
Examples of 'renegade' in a sentence
renegade
The trailer presents a product recall: a small group of renegade robots are being hunted down.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
A renegade general who backed them is fighting for life after being shot by a sniper on Thursday.
The Sun (2010)
The makeshift police training centre was built in the aftermath of the worst attack against the British military by a renegade member of the Afghan security forces.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
renegade
British English: renegade NOUN
A renegade is a person who abandons the religious, political, or philosophical beliefs that he or she used to have, and accepts opposing or different beliefs.
He has shown himself to be a renegade without respect for the rule of law.
American English: renegade
Brazilian Portuguese: renegado
Chinese: 叛徒
European Spanish: renegado
French: renégat
German: Renegat
Italian: rinnegato
Japanese: 改宗者
Korean: 변절자
European Portuguese: renegado
Latin American Spanish: renegado
(noun)
Definition
a person who deserts a cause for another
He was a renegade – a traitor.
Synonyms
deserter
He was a deserter from the army.
rebel
She had been a rebel at school.
betrayer
a traitor and betrayer
dissident
outlaw
runaway
a teenage runaway
traitor
Some say he's a traitor to the working class.
defector
The defectors included some of the ablest people in the party.
mutineer
turncoat
His one-time admirers now accused him of being a turncoat.
apostate
He was an early apostate, leaving the party last year.
backslider
I've never heard of him punishing a backslider.
recreant (archaic)
(modifier)
The renegade police officer supplied details of the murder.
Synonyms
traitorous
rebel
Many soldiers in this rebel platoon joined as teenagers.
dissident
outlaw
runaway
rebellious
unfaithful
disloyal
backsliding
mutinous
apostate
recreant (archaic)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of apostate
Definition
a person who has abandoned his or her religion, political party, or cause
He was an early apostate, leaving the party last year.
Synonyms
deserter,
traitor,
renegade,
defector,
heretic,
turncoat,
backslider,
recreant (archaic)
in the sense of backslider
I've never heard of him punishing a backslider.
Synonyms
relapser,
renegade,
reneger,
deserter,
fallen angel,
turncoat,
apostate
in the sense of betrayer
a traitor and betrayer
Synonyms
traitor,
deceiver,
informer,
renegade,
defector,
conspirator,
Judas,
deserter,
double-crosser (informal),
turncoat,
quisling,
apostate,
miscreant,
snake in the grass,
back-stabber,
fizgig (Australian, slang)
Nearby words of
renegade
rendering
rendezvous
rendition
renegade
renege
renew
renewable
Synonyms of 'renegade'
renegade
Explore 'renegade' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of defector
The defectors included some of the ablest people in the party.
Synonyms
deserter,
renegade,
turncoat,
apostate,
recreant (archaic),
runagate (archaic),
tergiversator
in the sense of rebel
Definition
a person who rejects accepted conventions of behaviour
She had been a rebel at school.
Synonyms
nonconformist,
dissident,
maverick,
dissenter,
heretic,
apostate,
schismatic
in the sense of rebel
Definition
rebelling
Many soldiers in this rebel platoon joined as teenagers.
Synonyms
rebellious,
revolutionary,
insurgent,
mutinous,
insubordinate,
insurrectionary
in the sense of runaway
Definition
a person or animal that runs away
a teenage runaway
Synonyms
fugitive,
escaper,
refugee,
deserter,
truant,
escapee,
absconder
in the sense of traitor
Definition
a person who betrays friends, country, a cause, etc.
Some say he's a traitor to the working class.
Synonyms
betrayer,
deserter,
turncoat,
deceiver,
informer,
renegade,
defector,
Judas,
double-crosser (informal),
quisling,
apostate,
miscreant,
fifth columnist,
snake in the grass (informal),
back-stabber,
fizgig (Australian, slang)
in the sense of turncoat
Definition
a person who deserts one cause or party to join an opposing one
His one-time admirers now accused him of being a turncoat.