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DictionaryrenegadeRejection of allegiance or authority
noun / adjective

renegade

REN-uh-gayd/ˈrenɪɡeɪd/

A person who rejects an allegiance or defies established authority.

The renegade removes the team's armband and walks away from the group.

A former team member takes off their matching armband and walks away from the group toward an open road.
Etymology
renegadeSpanishreligious apostate

Spanish renegado originally described a Christian who became Muslim. English renegade probably derives from this word, broadening from someone who abandons a religious faith to someone who deserts a group or cause.

In context

Libranima461:27
the renegade effected his readmission into the body of the Church and was reconciled with it
Don Quixote - Cervantes (Illustrated Audiobook) Part 4 of 4

More examples

  • A renegade officer refuses to follow the commander's orders.
  • The renegades abandon their faction and join its rivals.
  • His former congregation calls him a renegade for rejecting its teachings.

Forms

renegade · renegades

Similar words

rebel
Emphasizes resistance to authority rather than abandoning an allegiance.
defector
Specifically describes someone leaving one side for another.
turncoat
Emphasizes betrayal through switching sides, with stronger disapproval.