collaborationist
collaborationist Lexical Profile
• adjective
Relating to, characteristic of, or practicing treasonous cooperation with an enemy force occupying one's country.
"Following the liberation of the capital, the provisional authorities swiftly dismantled the collaborationist administration."
• noun
A person who willingly cooperates with an enemy force occupying their country.
"Historians have extensively examined the motives of the collaborationists who held administrative posts during the wartime occupation."
Word Nuance & Usage
Unlike 'collaborator', which can refer neutrally to a co-worker or co-author, 'collaborationist' is used almost exclusively in a pejorative historical or political sense to describe someone who treasonously cooperates with an occupying enemy force.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from French 'collaborationniste' in 1940 during World War II, coined specifically to describe supporters of the Vichy regime who advocated cooperating with Nazi Germany.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.