Defection(n.) Act of abandoning a person or cause to which one is bound by allegiance or duty, or to which one has attached himself; desertion; failure in duty; a falling away; apostasy; backsliding.
Thesaurus Entries
abandonment, about-face, accommodation, adaptation, adjustment, alienation, alteration, amelioration, apostasy, backsliding, bad debt, betrayal, betterment, blemish, bolt, break, breakaway, bug, catch, change, change of heart, changeableness, constructive change, continuity, conversion, crack, crossing-over, default, defect, deficiency, degeneration, degenerative change, delinquence, delinquency, dereliction, deserter, desertion, deterioration, deviation, difference, disaffection, discontinuity, dishonor, dishonoring, disloyalty, disownment, divergence, diversification, diversion, diversity, divorce, drawback, estrangement, failing, failure, faithlessness, falseness, fault, faute, fitting, flaw, flip-flop, foible, forsaking, frailty, going over, gradual change, hole, imperfection, improvement, inadequacy, infirmity, kink, little problem, melioration, mitigation, modification, modulation, nondischarge of debts, nonpayment, nonremittal, overthrow, parting, problem, protest, protested bill, qualification, radical change, ratting, re-creation, realignment, recidivation, recidivism, recreancy, redesign, reform, reformation, rejection, remaking, renewal, renunciation, repudiation, reshaping, restructuring, reversal, revival, revivification, revolution, rift, runout, schism, secession, separation, shift, shortcoming, snag, something missing, sudden change, switch, taint, tergiversation, total change, transition, treason, turn, turnabout, turning traitor, uncollectible, upheaval, variation, variety, violent change, vulnerable place, walkout, weak link, weak point, weakness, worsening