what does quisling mean

“Quisling” means a traitor who collaborates with an enemy that has taken control of their own country, especially in a political or military context.

Core meaning

• A quisling is someone from a country who helps an invading or occupying enemy power rule or control that country.

• In everyday use, it’s a strong insult meaning a treacherous collaborator or sell‑out to an enemy.

Where the word comes from

• The term comes from Vidkun Quisling, a Norwegian politician who cooperated with Nazi Germany when they occupied Norway during the Second World War.

• He led a Nazi-backed puppet government, was later tried for treason, and executed; his surname then entered English as a common noun meaning “traitor” or “collaborator.”

How people use “quisling” today

• It’s often used in political commentary to label a local leader or official who is seen as serving foreign interests against their own nation’s.

• You might see phrases like “quisling government” or “quisling regime” describing a puppet administration installed or controlled by an outside power.

Quick example sentences

• “Many citizens viewed the new ministers as quislings, loyal to the occupiers rather than to their own people.”

• “History remembers him as a quisling who betrayed his country in its darkest hour.”

TL;DR: If someone is called a “quisling,” they’re being accused of being a traitor who collaborates with an enemy occupier , a very harsh and historically loaded insult.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.