The state of having rejected your religious beliefs or your political party or a cause (often in favor of opposing beliefs or causes).

synonyms: defection, renunciation.

Roget 607: change of mind, change of intention, change of purpose; afterthought.    tergiversation, recantation; palinode, palinody^†; renunciation; abjuration^†, abjurement; defection etc. (relinquishment) 624; going over etc. v.; apostasy; retraction, retractation^†; withdrawal; disavowal etc. (negation) 536; revocation, revokement^†; reversal; repentance etc. 950; redintegratio amoris [Lat.].    coquetry; vacillation etc. 605; backsliding; volte-face [Fr.].    turn coat, turn tippet^†; rat, apostate, renegade; convert, pervert; proselyte, deserter; backslider; blackleg, crawfish [U.S.], scab [Slang], mugwump [U.S.], recidivist.    time server, time pleaser^†; timist^†, Vicar of Bray, trimmer, ambidexter^†; weathercock etc. (changeable) 149; Janus.    ... show more

Roget 940: improbity^†; dishonesty, dishonor; deviation from rectitude; disgrace etc. (disrepute) 874; fraud etc. (deception) 545; lying etc. 544; bad faith, Punic faith; mala fides [Lat.], Punica fides [Lat.]; infidelity; faithlessness etc. adj.; Judas kiss, betrayal.    breach of promise, breach of trust, breach of faith; prodition^†, disloyalty, treason, high treason; apostasy etc. (tergiversation) 607; nonobservance etc. 773.    shabbiness etc. adj.; villainy, villany^†; baseness etc. adj.; abjection, debasement, turpitude, moral turpitude, laxity, trimming, shuffling.    perfidy; perfidiousness etc. adj.; treachery, double dealing; unfairness etc. adj.; knavery, roguery, rascality, foul play; jobbing, jobbery; graft, bribery; venality, nepotism; corruption, job, shuffle, fishy transaction; barratry, sharp practice, heads I win tails you lose; mouth honor etc. (flattery) 933.    ... show more

Roget 984: heterodoxy; error etc. 495; false doctrine, heresy, schism; schismaticism^†, schismaticalness; recusancy, backsliding, apostasy; atheism etc. (irreligion) 989^†.    bigotry etc. (obstinacy) 606; fanaticism, iconoclasm; hyperorthodoxy^†, precisianism^†, bibliolatry^†, sabbatarianism^†, puritanism; anthropomorphism; idolatry etc. 991; superstition etc. (credulity) 486; dissent etc. 489.    sectarism^†, sectarianism; noncomformity^†; secularism; syncretism^†.    [religious sects.] protestantism, Arianism^†, Adventism, Jansenism, Stundism^†, Erastianism^†, Calvinism, quakerism^†, methodism, anabaptism^†, Puseyism, tractarianism^†, ritualism, Origenism, Sabellianism, Socinianism^†, Deism, Theism, materialism, positivism, latitudinarianism etc. High Church, Low Church, Broad Church, Free Church; ultramontanism^†; papism, papistry; monkery^†; papacy; Anglicanism, Catholicism, Romanism; popery, Scarlet Lady, Church of Rome, Greek Church.    paganism, heathenism, ethicism^†; mythology; polytheism, ditheism^†, tritheism^†; dualism; heathendom^†.    Judaism, Gentilism^†, Islamism, Islam, Mohammedanism, Babism^†, Sufiism, Neoplatonism, Turcism^†, Brahminism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sabianism, Gnosticism, Hylotheism^†, Mormonism; Christian Science.    heretic, apostate, antichrist^†; pagan, heathen; painim^†, paynim^†; giaour^†; gentile; pantheist, polytheist; idolator.    schismatic; sectary, sectarian, sectarist^†; seceder, separatist, recusant, dissenter; nonconformist, nonjuror^†.    bigot etc. (obstinacy) 606; fanatic, abdal^†, iconoclast.    latitudinarian, Deist, Theist, Unitarian; positivist, materialist; Homoiousian^†, Homoousian^†, limitarian^†, theosophist, ubiquitarian^†; skeptic etc. 989.    Protestant; Huguenot; orthodox dissenter, Congregationalist, Independent; Episcopalian, Presbyterian; Lutheran, Calvinist, Methodist, Wesleyan; Ana^†, Baptist; Mormon, Latter-day Saint^†, Irvingite, Sandemanian, Glassite, Erastian; Sublapsarian, Supralapsarian^†; Gentoo, Antinomian^†, Swedenborgian^†; Adventist^†, Bible Christian, Bryanite, Brownian, Christian Scientist, Dunker, Ebionite, Eusebian; Faith Curer^†, Curist^†; Familist^†, Jovinianist, Libadist^†, Quaker, Restitutionist^†, Shaker, Stundist, Tunker &c.; ultramontane; Anglican^†, Oxford School; tractarian^†, Puseyite, ritualist; Puritan.    Catholic, Roman, Catholic, Romanist, papist.    Jew, Hebrew, Rabbinist, Rabbist^†, Sadducee; Babist^†, Motazilite; Mohammedan, Mussulman, Moslem, Shiah, Sunni, Wahabi, Osmanli.    Brahmin^†, Brahman^†; Parsee, Sufi, Buddhist; Magi, Gymnosophist^†, fire worshiper, Sabian, Gnostic, Rosicrucian etc. ... show more

Dutch: afvalligheid
Polish: apostazja, odstępstwo, odszczepieństwo

The act of abandoning a party for cause.

synonym: tergiversation.