William Dalrymple (historian)

In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state or political entity in exchange for allegiance to another.

Defector may also refer to:

• The Defector (Maron novel), 1986 German novel by Monika Maron
• The Defector (Silva novel), a 2009 novel by Daniel Silva

• The Defector (film), a 1966 film
• "The Defector" (Star Trek: The Next Generation), a 1990 episode of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Defectors (game show), a game show broadcast in the UK
• The Defector: Escape from North Korea, a 2013 documentary film directed by Ann Shin

• Defector Media, a sports blog and media company

• Defector (Steve Hackett album), 1980
• Defector (John Hermann album), 2003
• "Defector", a song by Muse from their 2015 album Drones
• The Defectors, a Danish rock band

• In game theory situations such as the Prisoner's dilemma, a participant who acts to benefit themself, while penalizing the other participant(s)