Political Intrigue Vocabulary

noun a person who works secretly to aid an enemy; traitor

adjective relating to or characteristic of a fifth columnist

• The government suspected that the spy was working as a fifth columnist within the country.
• I heard that there's a fifth columnist in our group leaking information to our competitors.
• Watch out for that guy, he's a total fifth columnist.
• Her constant criticism of the company makes her seem like a fifth columnist in our team.

noun a crafty scheme or plot, especially one intended to do harm

• The intricate machination of the plot kept the audience on the edge of their seats.
• I can't believe the machination behind that scandalous rumor!
• The machination of that plan was seriously twisted.
• The machination of the universe's design is beyond our comprehension.